


Kisses Sweeter Than Wine

by Kitsune_Moonstar



Category: Bleach
Genre: 30 Kisses Challenge, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-15
Updated: 2013-04-21
Packaged: 2017-12-08 13:17:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 36,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/761749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty stories for Shunsui and Nanao for the thirty kisses challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kill It!

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list gamma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 4: Shriek; Shout.

**Kill It!**

There were very few things that actually scared Nanao. And for the most part, they were reasonable fears. Things like not being able to protect her division in the upcoming battles. So when confronted with one of her few irrational fears, Nanao did what any logical person would. She climbed up on to her desk and shrieked.

* * *

In Shunsui's opinion, it was a pretty good day. There had been a captain's meeting, but it was short and to the point, and now he was headed back to the office to annoy his Nanao-chan for awhile. Jyuushiro was walking with as they debated where they wanted to eat this week for their weekly meal out together. It was a long standing tradition between the two of them, dating back to the early years of their captaincy.

There was a shriek from inside the Eighth Division office. Jyuushiro blinked.

"Was that Ise-san?"

It sounded a little like Nanao, but then, Shunsui had never heard Nanao shriek before. It wasn't the type of thing his normally stoic lieutenant would do. However, when he stepped into the office, Shunsui had to do a double taken. Then he blinked at the sight of his Nanao-chan huddled on top of her desk. It was clear that she had been working her way through the piles of paperwork as several of them had been disturbed by her assent to the desk. But what struck Shunsui the most was her face. Nanao was terrified, and she wasn't hiding it.

That concerned Shunsui. His fierce Nanao was rarely afraid. However, he couldn't see anything in the immediate area that would prompt that sort of response.

"Nanao-chan?"

She raised her face to meet his eyes.

"Kill it!" Nanao demanded.

Shunsui blinked. He didn't see anything that needed to be killed. Nanao pointed towards the floor by her chair. Shunsui scooted a little closer to investigate. It took him several minutes to locate the source of Nanao's apprehension. He kept from laughing. Barely. It was just a little hairy caterpillar. Clearly, however, Nanao had problems with it.

He wasn't about to kill it though. That was hardly necessary. Shunsui gently picked up the caterpillar and walked backed towards Jyuu. Jyuushiro raised an eyebrow. He carefully set the insect outside the window.

"There you are, Nanao-chan. All gone."

She craned her head, eyes darting all around the office to make sure. Then his lieutenant climbed off her desk. Nanao smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Captain."

And with that she got back to work. Shunsui blinked again. It was as if the whole incident had never happened. Maybe he needed a drink.


	2. New Traditions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 2: Valentine's Day/White Day.

**New Traditions**

Her first Valentine's Day at Seireitei Inc. was rather memorable to Nanao. It was her first job, and she had immediately been assigned to the Eighth Division. And apparently there, Valentine's Day was a serious matter. The color pink was everywhere, and there seemed to be a flurry of chocolate exchanges. Nanao herself only had a few obligation chocolates to give out and ignored most of the festivities.

Her second Valentine's Day at Seireitei Inc. Nanao was newly the new promoted assistant head of the department. She was more concerned about dealing with the recent upheaval than anything else. And she wasn't used to her boss' flirtations yet. Still, she did slip a little box of store bought chocolate into the enormous pile of that Mr. Kyoraku received that day.

Over the years, a routine developed. Nanao would arrive early on February fourteenth in order to avoid some of the chaos the prevailed. She would have spent the weeks earlier making sure that anything that absolutely had to be done by that date was already taken care. Trying to get the staff to do their work was next to impossible, and Mr. Kyoraku was worse. She would spend the few hours she had alone in the office, taking care of a number of tasks that required peace and quiet as well as getting things set up to handle all of the chocolate her boss would get that day. Given the sheer volume of chocolates the man got every year, a system was needed.

Nanao was probably one of the few people that knew what happened to all that chocolate. Her boss clearly didn't mind getting it, but by the end of Valentine's Day, he had more than enough to last him the entire year. So after picking out what he wanted of the stuff, Mr. Kyoraku gave most of the chocolate away. It tended to find its way to the hands of children. It was a secret she let him keep. Nanao never knew if her own chocolates were the ones that got kept or the ones that were given away.

Nanao always gave him chocolate. She couldn't help it. Typically just a small box and store-bought as she couldn't make chocolate to save her life. It had started out just as something she did every year like the same way she always gave chocolates to the janitorial staff and their regular delivery people. And sometime over the last five or six years, she had fallen in love with Shunsui Kyoraku, and giving him chocolates on Valentine's Day had become more important to her.

Not that he would ever know that they were from her. Nanao had never put her name on the chocolates that she gave him or done anything else to let him know who they were from. She had long ago decided to keep her feelings to herself. Yes, her boss flirted with her more than any other person who crossed his path, but that didn't mean anything. Nanao was simply around him far more than anyone else. Besides, men like him didn't fall in love with like her, and she didn't need his rejection of her complicating their professional relationship.

She didn't expect this year to be any different. Her gift of chocolate would be slipped into his box with the rest of the yearly offerings. It was all together simple. A small box with four dark chocolates wrapped in simple purple paper. The chocolate was simple and unornamented though of very good quality. Once the chocolate was taken care of, Nanao got to work on more serious matters. She didn't even look up when her boss finally arrive at one in the afternoon.

It was a long day in the office for Nanao, and she ended up staying late to deal with some last minute paperwork that had appeared. She was finally closing up for the day when she realized that she wasn't alone in the office. Her boss was leaning on the doorframe, watching her.

"Can I help you, sir?"

He smiled at her, shaking his head. "I just wanted to thank you, precious."

Nanao frowned and opened her mouth to protest the endearment. Then she shut it again when she realized that he had crossed the room and backed her up against her desk. Shunsui reached a hand and gently ran a finger down her cheekbone.

"Someone gives me my favorite chocolates without fail every year for the past four without taking credit. That has the tendency to make a man curious. Especially when I know that very few people know I like dark chocolates with raspberry ganche."

Nanao found herself unable to move, and he kept talking.

"I had my suspicions, precious, but it looks like I finally caught you."

She was about to protest that, but he dangled something in front of her face. It was the ribbon from her box of chocolates, and it had a single silver earring caught it in. It was from one of Nanao's favorite pairs: a small teardrop dangle with a purple bead. She mentally swore. The she had wrapped the box on the top of her dresser where all her jewelry was stored. The earring must have gotten caught in the ribbon then.

"I had been holding out hope it was you."

Shunsui smiled at her, and Nanao's breath caught in her throat. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Gently at first, but when Nanao let out a soft gasp, he kissed her a little more forcefully. Nanao didn't know what else to do except give in to her own emotions. Her arms slid around his neck, and she kissed him back.

When they parted for air, she smiled.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Shunsui."

* * *

He remembered her first White Day at his office if only because she was their youngest employee. Shunsui hadn't really met her at that point, and she spent most of her time working with the assistant head of his department. He did remember the fact that she hadn't received anything for White Day.

Her second White Day at Seireitei Inc. also marked her first as the assistant department head. Shunsui insisted on promoting Nanao after Lisa had left. She might be young for the position, but it had been clear to him that Nanao could manage it just fine. She hadn't received anything that White Day either, and that had rather irked Shunsui for some reason. In part it was probably because he knew that the department would have fallen apart those last few months without her.

So her third White Day in the office, he might have gone a little bit overboard by covering her desk with flowers, but really, Shunsui just wanted to her to know that she was appreciated. He continued the tradition of extravagant gestures over the years. And as each year passed, Shunsui found himself a little more in love with his adorable Nanao. Convincing her of this was proving to be far more difficult than he had anticipated, though he did have an inkling that she might return his feelings. There was that mysterious chocolate that always appeared on Valentine's Day. Always his favorite, and never with a note or any indication who it was from.

However, this year he wanted to do something really special for Nanao for White Day. In part because she deserved it as usual, and in part because now he actually a valid reason to spoil her on White Day. Valentine's Day had brought several revelations this year, including just who had been spending him those mystery chocolates, and had led to Shunsui actually dating his lovely Nanao. And while he's done things for her in the past for White Day, this year it needs to be special.

And that was why he was here in the office before her this morning. For one thing, Shunsui wanted to see Nanao's reaction to her gift. For another, he had needed to finish setting it up. He left his office door open, so he could watch. Nanao appeared promptly at seven-thirty. She hung up her coat and then turned to her desk. Then she blinked clearly confused. There was a vase of irises and lilies on her desk as well as a small wrapped box which Shunsui knew contained her favorite sea-salt caramels. Other than that, her desk was completely clear of any paperwork.

It was easy to see she was confused by that. Nanao began carefully checking her desk for any trace the paperwork. The woman finally found the paperwork in the inbox. The moment Shunsui had been waiting for happened when Nanao realized that all the paperwork was complete. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled that rare full smile of hers.

"Happy White Day, Nanao."

She looked up from the papers and blushed. "Thank you."

Shunsui couldn't help himself. He crossed the room and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You're welcome, precious."

Then he kissed her properly.


	3. The Definition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 9: Dictionary.

**The Definition**

His Nanao-chan was an incredibly complex puzzle. Shunsui doubted he would ever stop finding new things about her or completely figure her out. Not that he minded that at all. Thinking about Nanao was one of his favorite pastimes. Some people might think that defining Nanao was fairly easy, but there really was no dictionary entry that really matched her. Despite the fact that he had known her for little over a century now, she always seemed to show him something new about herself that just made him love her more.

Shunsui had known he was in love with her for quite some time. He had first realized it when she was still very young. And Nanao was young, for all that she was very much an old soul. Watching her grow up from the shy and slightly awkward child she had been into the beautiful and accomplished woman she was now had been fascinating. She had always been a brilliant person and a powerful one. You didn't graduate from the academy at the age she had without being both. Nanao had been a kidou master by the name she was fifty; she had looked about fourteen at that time.

She had been his fifth seat at the time, and that was also when Shunsui first had an inkling of just how much he felt for her. She had a superficial resemblance to Lisa, but it was just that: completely superficial. Nanao's own personality had shown through that even at a young age. She was a fierce little thing, especially when it came to the defense of people she cared about. That was what had prompted the realization on his part. Nanao had gone out on a mission to the real world with a team in order to deal with some hollows.

Nanao had ended up saving her team and attaining her shikai. Well, Shunsui didn't know if she had attained it then, but it was the first that anyone had ever heard of her having it. Nanao had saved her team, but she had been injured, and Shunsui would never forget those moments before he knew that she was all right and it was just a minor sprained ankle. The idea of losing her had shocked him to the core, and Shunsui found that she had become far more essential to him than he had ever realized.

It was shortly after that incident that Nanao became his lieutenant. Neat and efficient, his division had never been so productive as it was with her at the helm. And most people didn't look past the work façade that she presented. Everyone seemed to assume for the most part that the stern, efficient woman they saw was all there was to her. Shunsui knew better. His Nanao-chan was a bundle of contradictions.

For example, kidou was her specialty, and she was a kidou master. She was also quite a swordswoman. Hardly anyone realized it for a number of reasons. Nanao's zanpakutou was not designed for regular combat. Yamazakurakaze was a delicate, slender wakizashi that was that deadly in the hands of his lieutenant, but put her at a disadvantage in a conventional fight. She would have to be much closer than normal to score any hits. The other reason people didn't realize that she was a swordswomen was simply that she trained either on her own or with Shunsui himself.

He had been floored the first time he heard her sing. It was a talent he hadn't known she had possessed, but once she had displayed it, Shunsui had done what he could to encourage her in it. She didn't perform for many people, but these days Nanao sang as well as played koto and piano. He had even caught her trying her hand at composing a time or two, though he'd never been privilege to hear any of her completed works if there were any. But for all of her musical talent, Nanao would freely admit she had very little other artistic talent. She appreciated art, yes, but she couldn't draw anything other than stick figures. Shunsui wouldn't have believed it, but he had seen her attempts.

Another thing was the fact that while many took Nanao for a traditionalist, she absolutely hated powered green tea. Not that Shunsui blamed her; he also loathed the stuff. No, his Nanao-chan's favorite tea was a British blend called Lady Grey. She ideally took her tea with three sugars, a spoon of honey, and a splash of milk. Her favorite food, on the other hand, was quite traditional: sweet bean paste filled cakes. Her favorites were the ones in the shape of maple leaves. Nanao-chan was a fairly basic cook, but she would eat almost anything. Her favorite lunch was udon though. That discovery had been a very useful one. Shunsui had found he could typically bribe Nanao out of the office if he offered to take her out to lunch for the noodles.

He had used that excuse many times in order to get her out of the office and to spend time with her. Nanao was confused at times why he was so interested in her. As if Shunsui couldn't be. Besides being intelligent, feisty, dangerous, and talented, Nanao really was quite beautiful even if she didn't believe it herself. She might not have Rangiku's flashy looks, but her own quiet elegance was absolutely charming. Hair the color of raven's wings and those gorgeous violet eyes combined with her fair skin, she was a goddess in his eyes. Nanao was as beautiful in battle as she was in her formal kimono to him though. But Shunsui's favorite image of her was when Nanao was wrapped in his pink haori and nothing else.

When Nanao had finally let him into his heart, Shunsui had found out a whole new wealth of things about her. For one, she liked to cuddle in bed. In fact, his Nanao-chan could be incredibly affectionate in private. And she couldn't seem to sleep unless she was pressed up as close as possible to him. She tended to be an odd mixture of shy and curious when it came to their private life. One of the most interesting discoveries Shunsui had made was the fact that there was a delicate tattoo of a sakura blossom on her back. She claimed Rangiku had a matching chrysanthemum on hers. But Nanao refused to tell him the story of how it had gotten there.

His thoughts were interrupted as Nanao let out a little yawn and curled into him a little more where she rest in the curve of his arm, reading a book. Shunsui reached out and captured her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. His Nanao looked up at him and smiled. He ran a thumb across her cheekbone.

"Nanao-chan?"

She smiled at him and closed her eyes. Shunsui smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. No, he doubted he would ever stop discovering new things about his lovely Nanao-chan, and Shunsui didn't mind that a bit.


	4. Healing Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 18: Mercy and Hospitality.

**Healing Hands**

Nanao hummed softly as she filled out the paperwork. Objectively, she knew that Captain Kyoraku probably couldn't hear her, but she felt the need to do something so he would know that he wasn't on his own, and she really did have to get this paperwork taken care of. She glanced over at the bed where he lay. It had been two days since they had arrived at the Fourth. Her captain was going to be just fine, but she wasn't about to leave his side until he awoke. She had nearly lost him, and Nanao knew she wasn't really going to be able to rest until he opened his eyes.

They had been out on a mission when it had happened. Nanao had been supervising the retreat of their more vulnerable division members while her captain dealt with the worst of the hollows. She had just barely turned, sensing that something was going wrong when she caught sight of Captain Kyoraku falling, one side stained red. Nanao couldn't remember what had happened after her captain had fallen. Yamazakurakaze's voice had been screaming in her ears, and Nanao knew that she must have dealt with the remaining menos, but the next thing she really remembered, she had been kneeling at his side, frantically trying to remember any healing spells she knew.

Captain Ukitake had shown up with reinforcements from the Thirteenth Division moments later. He had quickly taken control of things and had sent Nanao to the Fourth along with Shunsui. It was just as well. Nanao knew that she hadn't been very coherent at the time; she'd been too terrified of losing her captain. On Captain Unohana's orders, Nanao had cleaned up and changed into a new uniform before returning to the Fourth, but since then, Nanao had scarcely left her captain's room save for brief trips to the rest room.

The paperwork was something of a distraction from the fact that Shunsui had not woken yet, but it was also quickly completed. So Nanao resumed her vigil without anything else to distract her thoughts. She gently smoothed his hair. The sound of his breathing kept her calm. Nanao knew that she probably wasn't at her most together right now, but the idea of losing Shunsui quite truthfully terrified her more than anything else. Part of it was the fact that she was in love with him, but a greater part came from the fact that Shunsui Kyoraku had been the one person she could rely on to leave her in her life. He had always been her constant. And she didn't know how to live without him.

She slid her hand into his. His hand was so much bigger than her own. She squeezed it gently, and then started when he squeezed back.

"Nanao-chan?" His voice was hoarse, but his eyes were open.

Her head shot up. "Captain?"

"What happened, Nanao-chan?"

She bit her lip; she couldn't seem to do anything except stare at him. "Shunsui."

And then she burst into tears.

"Nanao-chan? Why are you crying?"

Captain Unohana entered the room, saving her from having to answer. So Nanao just clutched at his hand and cried.

* * *

When Shunsui woke again, he was a little more aware. He remembered waking before and Nanao crying, but that was about it. He looked around; He didn't recognize this room which meant he was probably at the Fourth. He couldn't remember much about the end of the battle. His eyes were drawn to the bed. Nanao was asleep, curled up at his side on top of the covers. He could see dried tear tracks on his face.

"She hasn't left you side since you got here," Jyuushiro's voice was soft; Shunsui looked up to meet his friend's eyes. "I think Retsu drugged her last cup of tea, so she would get some rest."

"What happened?" He attempted to sit up. Shunsui managed, but his efforts were hampered by the fact that Nanao had one of his hands clutched tightly in her own.

Jyuushiro smiled. "You were badly wounded, and she took care of the remaining Hollows before working herself into hysterics over your condition. She achieved bankai, Shunsui. You would have been proud. I think your Sixth Seat described it as 'a giant glowing, pink kidou cloud of doom'."

"But Nanao is fine?"

"Physically, yes." Jyuu gave him a look. "I think you scared her pretty badly. It's been something of a struggle to get her to take care of herself while she kept her vigil."

Shunsui let out a sigh. He hated to worry Nanao like that, but he hadn't really had any choice about it this time around. Still, it sound like things had worked out. He offered his friend a grin.

"Glowing pink kidou cloud of doom, huh? What do you want to bet that she'll complain about the fact that it's pink?"

Jyuushiro laughed. "Clearly, you're well on your way to recovery if you already are thinking about was to tease your lieutenant. Retsu says that you'll have to stay here for another day, and then you can go home if you find someone willing to keep an eye on you for the forty-eight hours after that. I would mention it to Ise-san next time you're both awake at once. I somehow doubt you'll have any trouble finding someone to look out for you."

"Is that your idea of subtle hint?"

His friend just shook his head. "Here's a subtle hint for you, if you don't get some more rest, Retsu's not going to let you out of here."

Shunsui just grinned. "Now, Jyuu, when have I ever been adverse to a nap?"

* * *

Jyuushiro watched the two of them sleep. They really were absolutely adorable together. Nanao still had Shunsui's hand clasped in her own, and Shunsui had some how ended up curled around her. He rather hoped that this would serve as a wake up call and get the two of them to actually go something about their feelings. It had been to fun to watch them dance around one another for the first couple decades, but at this point, Jyuushiro just wanted them to get together and be happy with one another.

Retsu appeared in the doorway. "How are they going?"

He smiled. "Shunsui woke up again briefly, and I filled him in on things. He was more concerned about Ise-san than anything else."

"And this is surprising to you?" she teased him.

"Not at all. I'm just saying."

Retsu covered the younger woman with a blanket and motioned him out of the room. "Let them sleep, dear. They could both do with the rest. I'm off duty now, and you promised me dinner."

Jyuu kissed her cheek. "Yes, sweetheart."


	5. Sing It Loud, Sing It Proud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 6: Bronze Medal.

**Sing It Loud, Sing It Proud**

Shunsui bit back laughter. His lovely Nanao-chan was drunk as a skunk. She certainly wouldn't take any medals in a drinking contest, not even the bronze. They were celebrating, and that was probably how they had convinced Nanao to come along with them. The whole venture had been Rangiku's idea, but she had easily convinced Shunsui, and the two of them had gathered quite a group to come to the bar. And that was how he had ended up with his lieutenant snuggled into his lap, giggling and singing. It had either been that or let her get up on top of the bar.

Rangiku shot him a smug look. "This is why I don't make her come drinking with me very often. She might be an adorable drunk, but she clearly needs a keeper when she sloshed."

"So I see."

Nanao was singing. Shunsui smiled at her with a bemused look. Normally, this was an extremely rare event. She didn't advertise her skills or perform in public if she could help it. Luckily for her, no one else in the group seemed that interested. Jyuu and Retsu weren't really drinking. Canoodling, on the other hand, that was another story. They probably weren't aware of anything other than each other at this point. But they did make an extremely cute couple together, and it had taken them long enough to finally hook up. Kiyone and Sentaro were involved in a drinking contest, matching one another drink for drink and oblivious to anything else. Rangiku was the only other one really paying attention to Nanao other than perhaps Gin who was serving as Rangiku's chair.

Nanao giggled as she reached for another drink. Shunsui scooted it out of reach. He would say she had more than enough for tonight. His lieutenant pouted at him and then started singing again.

"Gin's a rat bastard tonight. Gin's a rat bastard tonight. Gin's a rat bastard 'cause he abandoned Rangiku for Aizen. Gin's a rat bastard tonight."

Those weren't the lyrics that had originally gone with that tune. Ichimaru blinked at the lyrics and his lips twitched. Shunsui had the suspicion that the man might agree with the lyrics. Even if the reason he had left was in order to keep his cover as a spy for Soul Society. Gin seemed to have spent more time since his return with Rangiku than running the Third Division. Rangiku just laughed at her friend.

"You might want to take her home soon. Nanao won't last much longer." Rangiku smiled knowingly. "And she gets very grumpy when she's hung over."

"I'll take your word for that." He had never seen Nanao hung-over before. Then again, Shunsui had never seen Nanao completely drunk before either. Slightly tipsy, yes. Completely sloshed, no.

Then again, Rangiku did have a point. Nanao had clearly had enough, and she would probably regret it in the morning. Besides, she had been dragging him home for bars for years. It was about time he got to return the favor.

"Time to go home, Nanao-chan."

She put up a token protest, but Shunsui managed to convince her. Nanao was far too unsteady on her feet for Shunsui to trust her to walk back to her quarters, and she didn't protest when he picked her up. Nanao continued croon to him softly as he carried her home. She nuzzled his neck.

"Love you, Taichou." Her voice was softer now and sleepy.

He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I know, my Nanao-chan."

She might not remember this in the morning, but he would, and it gave Shunsui hope that maybe one day she'd say it to him when she was sober.


	6. Take My Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is slighly AU. Theme 25: Fork In the Road.

**Take My Hand**

Shunsui almost missed her. He had been looking for a bar, and so he hadn't really been paying attention. She was also a tiny little thing and was clutching a book. But what had made him take a double take was her eyes. The little girl had the most enchanting violet eyes that Shunsui had ever seen. And once he looked at her, Shunsui couldn't miss the sheer amount of reaitsu the child was exuding. She was tiny, but the sheer amount of reaitsu around her was rather astounding. She must either have fairly good control of it or she hadn't been here very long. That sort of power unchecked would attract hollows quite quickly. He frowned when he took in the bruises that dotted the tiny girl's fair skin, and instinctively his jaw clenched. Someone had hurt her. And she clearly wasn't getting enough to eat. That was when he decided he was going to take her home with him.

By this time the child had noticed his attention and was carefully backing away from him. Clearly, she had already learned not to trust most people. Of course, Shunsui wasn't most people. But he might have his work cut out for him getting her to come with him. Shunsui wasn't going to leave her here though. He knew where that fork of the road would lead the girl. It wasn't entirely likely that she would survive to be much older than she was now. Either hunger or hollows would kill her first.

"What's your name, little one?" He deliberately didn't move towards her.

She eyed him warily. "Why?"

Shunsui let his own reaitsu flare a little. Her eyes went wide.

"Because I think we have something in common."

The girl considered him a moment longer before finally replying, "Nanao Ise."

"I'm Shunsui Kyoraku." He smiled. "What do you know about shinigami, Nanao-chan?"

Nanao blinked and a frown furrowed her brow. "You're a shinigami? You don't look like a shinigami. I thought shinigami were supposed to look dignified."

Some maybe most shinigami didn't wear pink haoris, but that made him unique. Besides, he had never exactly been a normal shinigami, but this probably wasn't the time to explain that to Nanao.

"I am a shinigami, even if I don't look dignified." He grinned at her. "You could be a shinigami too, you know."

Before Nanao could respond to that, an older woman came around the corner, and Nanao once again shrank back towards the shadows. It didn't take Shunsui more than a few seconds to evaluate the situation.

"Come here, Nanao-chan." His voice was soft, but it was a command.

She reluctantly came closer. Shunsui scooped her up in his arms before she had a chance to realize what was going on. No one was going to give him a hard time about taking her, and Shunsui wasn't going to leave her alone when there was clearly someone here that frightened the little girl. She struggled a bit when she realized that he wasn't going to put her down. She really did have the most enchanting eyes. Especially when she was furious.

"Easy, sweetheart. You're safe with me." Shunsui's kept his tone soothing.

She stilled in his arms, though she was still glaring at him. Shunsui smiled.

"You will never have anything to fear from me, Nanao-chan." He kissed her forehead. "You'll make a wonderful shinigami, Nanao-chan."

Shunsui turned back towards the Seireitei. He wanted to put Nanao safely in Retsu's hands, and then he'd go find Jyuu, and they could make another stab at finding that bar.


	7. These Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is slighly AU and is set several years after the previous chapter. Theme 16: Mesozoic.

**These Hands**

Nanao couldn't help sighing as she surveyed the office. The place was an utter mess. There was going to be no easy way to see if the requisition form she had submitted had been approved or not. Honestly, you would think that the paperwork hadn't been touched since the Mesozoic era. There was also no one here. Nanao was fond of her captain despite his bad habits, and he was a good captain. So, Captain Kyoraku's absence wasn't that surprising, but at least the current lieutenant should be here right now. Nanao sighed again.

In the two years since Lisa's disappearance, the Eighth Division had gone through lieutenants like crazy. So far the longest anyone had lasted was three months. And in the meantime almost every thing administrative was behind schedule. Resigned to her fate, Nanao began picking her way through the paperwork, organizing as she went. It was not the first time that she had dealt with turning chaos into order. When she had first become the Fifth Seat, her office had almost been this bad.

Before Nanao had really realized it, she gotten most of the office organize. Taking a seat behind the lieutenant's desk, she began sorting through the various stacks of paperwork she had assembled. Most of the work was really not that difficult, and honestly, for the majority of it, all the lieutenant really needed to do was get Captain Kyoraku's signature on things. Everything else simply required basic form filling out skills. Nanao easily assembled the two stacks of papers. And then because it just seemed natural (and the easiest way to get the work done), Nanao found herself filling out the blank forms.

* * *

Shunsui wandered into the office in order to find that extra stash of sake he knew was in there, and he blinked at the sight of the tiny shinigami perched behind Lisa's desk. He still thought of it was Lisa's desk despite the fact that he had been through at least three lieutenants since her. He recognized the girl easily. He had encountered her a handful of times since she had joined his division, and Shunsui vaguely remembered meeting her in the Rukongai and turning her over to Retsu. Most recently though, he had run into her the night Lisa and the others disappeared, and he had her come and knock some sense into him about two weeks after Lisa had disappeared. Shunsui honestly didn't remember much about that night other than the fact that she had told him that it was all right to miss Lisa and that she missed Lisa too. He vaguely remembered her climbing into his lap at some point in the evening, but she had been gone when he woke in the morning.

The girl was an intriguing little thing. Unfortunately, the recent troubles had kept him from getting to know her a little better. She had grown some, though she was still tiny. Physically, she looked to be about ten or twelve now though. The girl looked up from the paperwork and frowned at him.

"Nanao-chan?"

"You do realize that this paperwork is nearly three months late," her voice was rather exasperated. "It's a wonder the division hasn't fallen apart by now. I realize that paperwork is not exactly your forte, but you could at least make sure that your lieutenant is competent enough to get it done. I need you to sign that stack of papers."

She sounded far more like Yama-ji than a little girl, and as amusing as this situation was, she was probably right. But none of the lieutenants that Yama-ji had assigned him so far had really meshed well with Shunsui. He needed his lieutenant to be a partner, and none of the men and women so far really worked well with him. Nanao tapped a pen against the stack of papers, indicating that she was waiting for him to get to work on them. With a sigh, Shunsui picked up the stack of paperwork and took it to his own desk.

As Shunsui began to sign the papers, he took a good look at the office. The last time he'd been in here, it had been something of a mess. His organization skills typically led to Shunsui making piles of various things. He always knew where to find things for the most part, though the system wasn't very user friendly for anyone else. Now the office was almost completely organized. How long had Nanao been in here? He considered the little girl sitting at the desk across from his. It was an impressive feat. Of course, Nanao herself was rather impressive.

She was extremely young for a shinigami. However, she also was currently the division's Fifth Seat, and clearly, she had organizational skills. She didn't seem all that intimidated by him at this point, and she clearly had no qualms about ordering him around, as evidenced by the paperwork Shunsui was currently doing. Nanao was also a kidou master, and Shunsui seemed to remember from a recent discussion with his Third Seat after a patrol that she had her shikai. The main reason she wasn't ranked high in the division simply because she hadn't challenged anyone higher than his former Fifth Seat (who really had been rather incompetent in many ways). Shunsui didn't doubt that she could probably take on both the Fourth Seat and the Third Seat and win.

He tumbled the idea around in his head. It was a good idea, and it would solve a number of problems. There wasn't anyone else in the division who was qualified for the position, and clearly no one who Yama-ji had sent had worked out. Nanao-chan would be a wonderful lieutenant.

"Ne, Nanao-chan, is Ishikawa-kun's application for transfer somewhere in this pile?"

Her brow furrowed. "I think so, sir."

"Hmm. I suppose that means we'll need a new lieutenant."

Nanao rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, sir. Could you please get a competent on this time?"

Shunsui finished signing the last of the papers. Then he pulled out a blank form and began filling it out.

* * *

Part of Nanao was shocked and appalled at her behavior. She really shouldn't be so informal with her captain, but when she was tired, her tongue sometimes got away from her and she would say things she wouldn't normally. Captain Kyoraku didn't seem to mind though. And he was doing the paperwork that she had given him, so that was useful. The girl bit back a sigh. Another new lieutenant. Just what they needed.

To tell the truth, Nanao had never really gotten along with any of the new lieutenants. She knew in part it was because she compared all of them to Lisa, and they all failed to measure up. But there were other reasons as well. Nanao knew that she looked like she still belonged in the academy, but she had more than proved herself to be a competent shinigami by now. But every time they got a new lieutenant she had to prove herself again. Nanao was sick of it. On the one hand, it had honed her skills both in kidou and with her zanpakutou. However, it was also exhausting and draining.

The thought of her zanpakutou made Nanao instinctively touch the blade that was concealed in her sleeve. She had only just mastered her shikai in the past few months. She was better with kidou than she was with her blade, but Yamazakurakaze was not something she neglected. Nanao let out a sigh. Her captain slid a form into front of her. Nanao started; she hadn't noticed him moving.

"Sign this please, Nanao-chan."

Nanao huffed. More paperwork. She signed it without bothering to read it. It was probably one of those silly forms where you needed two officers' signatures to complete it.

To her surprise, he then kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Nanao."

Nanao looked up to meet his eyes.

Captain Kyoraku carefully tied the lieutenant's badge in place around her arm with a solemn smile. "This is yours, Nanao-chan."

She was speechless. Her captain just grinned at her.

"You did tell me to get a competent lieutenant. I can't think of anyone better suited."


	8. Your Smiling Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 10: Musical; Play.

**Your Smiling Face**

Shunsui followed the sound of someone singing backstage to a storage closet. He had left his script in the theater and had come back for it, but the music had drawn him backstage. It wasn't the voice of one of the actors he recognized from the community theater group. Though it was vaguely familiar. The source of the singing turned out to be the young woman who did most of the group's stage management these days. Her name was Nanao Ise if Shunsui remember correctly. She was fairly new to their group, starting only in the past year.

He didn't know her very well, despite the fact that Shunsui typically tried to get to know everyone in their group. She had joined them when he was out of town for a couple of months on a trip, and when he had gotten back, their guest director had arrived, and he had made it hard for the actors to get to know the stage crew. Sosuke Aizen had some ideas about how to run a theater group and keeping the stage crew and the actors separate was one of them. Shunsui didn't agree, but the man was their guest. They would only have to put up with him for another five months.

Watching her try to reach a shelf just out of her reach, Shunsui couldn't keep from stepping in to help.

"What do you need, sweetheart?"

Nanao started; clearly she hadn't realized that he was there. Shunsui smiled apologetically. Nanao glared at him. She had beautiful violet eyes hidden behind her glasses. Then she sighed.

"The green Rubbermaid tub, please. And I'm not your sweetheart."

Shunsui liked her spunk. All too often when the group got new female members, he had to put up with crushes for a few months until they got over it. It wasn't that Shunsui wasn't interested in women; it was just that he hadn't found anyone that could really hold his attention as a romantic partner. He had plenty of female friends, though he hadn't had a serious girlfriend in years.

"I'm Shunsui Kyoraku. I don't think we've really been introduced since you started working with the group. You've got a lovely voice. You should try out for one of musicals sometime."

She smiled a little at him. "Nanao Ise. I know who you are, Mr. Kyoraku. I thought actors and production crew weren't supposed to mix."

Shunsui shrugged and set the tub on the ground. "That's Aizen's idea. We've always hung out together before. Besides, a lot of the group shifts between the two depending on the production. This time we've got more acting than on the stage crew. Though now that you mention it, I haven't see a number of the long time crew members around."

"Thank you for your help." Then Nanao bit her lip and offered, "A lot of the older stage crew left a month or so after Mr. Aizen started working as the director. There wasn't any talk about why. We're actually rather short handed now."

That was both interesting and worrisome. Shunsui chatted with Nanao a little more, but it soon became obvious to him that she wanted to get finished with what she was working on and head home. And that he was not assisting her in that. So Shunsui collected the script he had originally come back to the theater to get and headed home himself. But both Nanao and the issue of the stage crew stayed on his mind.

The current production the theater group was working on was _Oklahoma_. Shunsui had been cast as Curly early on, and he had to admit that he rather liked the part. There really wasn't much chemistry between himself and Momo Hinamori (who was playing Laurey) either on stage or off, but Shunsui did the best he could. He had the feeling though that Ado Annie and Will were going to upstage them. Rangiku and Gin Ichimaru had been cast in those roles, and they fit the married couple quite well. The only casting that really stood out as spot on was Retsu Ukitake as Aunt Eller.

The production was really beginning to come together, and Shunsui was enjoying himself even if he was rather skeptical about Aizen's style of directing and running the company. But there were other things that Shunsui noticed that bothered him. While Aizen did try to keep the stage crew and the actors separate, Nanao had sparked Shunsui's interest, and he went out of his way to see her on a regular basis. Shunsui knew the fact that he sought her out and did things like bring her coffee or snacks while she was working.

The truth of the matter was Shunsui was quite aware that the production would fall apart without her. At least, the whole set, props, costumes, and other technical parts. Nanao was doing much of the work herself too. The stage crew for this production was the smallest that the theater group had ever had, and most of those who were working on it were rather inexperienced. Nanao was doing an admirable job of keeping everything running smoothly and on schedule, and Shunsui tried to recruit help for her whenever he could. After all, there were actors that could spare an afternoon to help build the set or fold programs or pick up things from various distributors. That was the way the theater group normally worked, and Shunsui honestly didn't like the changes that Aizen had put in place.

He had also taken to staying late at the theater if he knew that Nanao would be working there after everyone else had left. Shunsui felt better knowing that she wasn't in the theater alone, and Nanao was good company. He had discovered by accident that she knew the lines for most of the plays had taken to running his lines with her. Shunsui had them memorized by now, but he was still working of the right delivery. Unfortunately, Momo wasn't really helping with that. She was a sweet girl, and with the right actor, Shunsui was sure that she would pull off the part of Laurey just fine. But she was so meek and mild in comparison to his portrayal of Curly that they didn't quite fit together. Shunsui was hoping they could find some sort of happy medium before the production started.

Nanao was singing People Will Say We're In Love to herself when he found her two weeks before opening night. She was working on folding and stuffing programs. They had ended up needing all of their programs reprinted due to an error by the printer. Shunsui took a seat beside and reached for one of the unfolded programs. It would go faster with two people rather than one. And her singing gave him an excuse to practice his part of the song. They ended up singing through most of his songs with Laurey. Shunsui had an all together pleasant evening and insisted on driving Nanao to her apartment.

He was less pleased to be called by the police at two in the morning. What had happened wasn't entirely clear from what the officer said, but the end result was Aizen being in jail. And he wasn't likely to be released any time soon. Shunsui personally didn't have any problem with that, but it was a little more complicated for the theater group, especially so close to the performance. Thankfully, Jyuushiro was playing a part that was minor enough that it wasn't a problem for him to step in and take over directing. Actually, Shunsui was of the opinion that Jyuu was a better director than Aizen, but he kept quiet about that.

However, there was a second problem that they didn't find out about until the next rehearsal when Opening night was only nine days away. Momo Hinamori had been caught up in whatever mess Aizen had created and was currently in the hospital in critical condition. This both upset everyone in the theater group on a basic human level and also posed the problem of what were they going to do about her part in the play. One of Aizen's policies had been to do away with understudies. Shunsui had the solution though. He knew how to save the show.

Admittedly, all of Nanao's theatrical experience to date had been on the production side of things rather than acting, but Shunsui knew she could do an amazing job of the role. She knew the part cold, and she could sing as well. The reason she hadn't tried out to act in the play was because Aizen had taken one look at her resume of theater experience and decided she belonged on the stage crew. Of course, she probably was going to kill him for suggesting her without consulting her first, but Shunsui didn't want to give Nanao a chance to talk herself out of this.

"I've got an idea," he smiled at the assembled group before looking over his shoulder to wear Nanao was getting ready to distribute costumes for final adjustments. "You know all the lines, don't you, Nanao-chan?"

She blushed. "I…yes."

Shunsui took her by the hand and lead her over to the group. "She sings too. We can have Nanao play Laurey."

Everyone was relieved enough to have a last minute replacement not to fuss. In fact, Nanao was the one who protested the most over it, mostly because she had no experience. Jyuushiro finally told her that given they had either a choice between her and not having a show, a little inexperience wasn't a bad thing. Besides, Shunsui had been right about her knowing the part cold, and the fact that they had been running lines together for several months now translated to a comfortable relationship on stage. Nanao might not know the blocking for her part, but she did know the lines and the songs. With a little hard work, Nanao would have the part down in time for opening night.

Opening night was always a frenzy of excitement, activity, and nerves. Even for an experience performer or stage hand. Shunsui went through his own pre-performance rituals before making his way over the wings where he would first enter the stage from. He found Nanao waiting there already, her eyes fixed out on the stage until he came to stand next to her. Nanao looked at him wide eyed and a little panicked. Shunsui recognized that expression. He had seen it on a number of faces before their first major theater performance. Given that the play was just about to start, it probably wouldn't hurt to distract Nanao from whatever anxiety she was facing.

"Nanao-chan." She looked up at him. Shunsui ran a thumb across her cheekbone then leaned in and kissed her. "Break a leg, Nanao."

And then he stepped on to the stage to start the play. When Nanao made her first entrance a few minutes later, she showed no signs of nervousness or stage fright. Smiling, Shunsui let himself get caught up in the performance. They made it through the first act without any really issues. There were a few bobbled lines, but nothing that hadn't been easily dealt with. So far, so good. Nanao quietly joined him after changing into her first costume for the second act.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. When I'm out on stage it feels completely different from when I'm backstage. It's easier when I'm out there."

"That's pretty normal for some actors." Shunsui grinned. "Though there are benefits to watching as well. I think my favorite part of this play is watching Retsu threaten people with a gun during the Farmer and the Cowman number."

Nanao laughed. "That is priceless."

The second act began, and things continued along smoothly. It might have not have been the absolutely best opening night the theater group had ever had, but it was a good one. All the seats in the audience were filled, though Shunsui didn't know how much of that was because of the recent scandal instead of the theater group's reputation. He didn't really care either. As long as the seats were full and people enjoyed the show that was what really mattered.

Before long it was time for the final bows. Shunsui would call the performance a rousing success, and Nanao had definitely made a memorable acting debut. Shunsui ducked back into the wings to get the bouquet he'd ordered.

Shunsui placed the enormous bouquet in Nanao's arms. "Congratulations, Nanao-chan. I'd call your performance a success."

She smiled back at him, and Shunsui couldn't help himself. He leaned in and kissed her. He was looking forward to performing on stage with her again, but maybe first he'd see if she'd let him take her out to dinner in order to celebrate tonight's success.


	9. Wild Captain Chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 5: "Try Over There...".

**Wild Captain Chase**

Nanao Ise was not amused. Once again Captain Kyoraku had disappeared on her while there were still papers to sign, and she hadn't been able to find him any where so far. It was more than a little frustrating, and Nanao wasn't exactly in the mood to be chasing down her captain right now. She would make one more attempt at finding the man, and then she was giving up for the day, going home and having a nice hot bath and a cup of tea.

She started with the office, on the off chance that the man had snuck back there and was taking a nap on the couch. Nanao didn't find him there, but she did notice that someone had disturbed her desk. A closer look revealed that someone had left her a new set of pens and ink. It was an unexpected gift, though it really wasn't what Nanao was looking for at the moment. Still, they were something she had needed but hadn't gotten around to getting for herself. A comment from a division member passing by sent Nanao off to the bars of the third district of the Rukongai to look for her captain.

That proved to be a dead end as well. Though Nanao did discover that she was the only other person besides Captain Ukitake who could charge things to Captain Kyoraku's tab. This might explain why a number of the bartenders had insisted on trying to feed her. At least she did learn that Captain Kyoraku had been by earlier in the day but had left with Captain Ukitake. Nanao thanked the bartender and headed back to the Thirteen Divisions. She would check the Fourth first, just incase Captain Ukitake hadn't been feeling well, and then she would check the Thirteenth.

The Fourth Division was another dead end which rather relieved Nanao. She much preferred things when Captain Ukitake was in good health. She genuinely liked the man for one thing, and for another, she hated the way it made her Captain worry. The woman moved on to the Thirteenth. Kiyone and Sentaro were as useful as always, and it took Nanao nearly five minutes to get past the bickering duo. Captain Ukitake was much more helpful.

"You might try his favorite cherry blossom watching spot," Captain Ukitake suggested. "He likes to take naps there."

"Thank you, Captain Ukitake."

"Not a problem, Ise-san."

Ukitake hid a smile when he thought she wasn't looking. Nanao frowned and began to wonder at the difficulty she'd had in locating her captain today as she made her way out to the orchard Ukitake had mentioned. Normally, Nanao did not have this much trouble finding her captain. She had an almost uncanny ability to locate his reaitsu no matter where he was as long as they both were in the Seireitei. For her not to be able to sense him was not common, and yet that had been going on all afternoon. Just what was her captain up to now?

She looked up, realizing that she had arrived at her destination. Nanao blinked. He was actually here. She hadn't expected that. Shunsui Kyoraku smiled up at her from beneath the cherry trees. There was a picnic laid out. Nanao's frown deepened.

"Just what have you been doing all day? I've been looking for you all over." And she had actually checked here earlier as well.

Shunsui reached out a hand to grab her wrist and tumbled her into his lap. He wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her in place.

"Happy anniversary, my Nanao-chan." At her blank look he grinned. "You became my lieutenant this day all those years ago. That's reason enough to celebrate, but there's also the fact that I have never had a partner so suited to me as you."

Nanao blushed then she let out a sigh and leaned back against him. If he had gone out of his way to try and do something nice for her, she could take a few moments to relax and enjoy it. A few moments turned in longer when Shunsui revealed that their picnic consisted of most of her favorite foods. Nanao allowed herself to relax. The paperwork could wait until tomorrow, but if Kyoraku thought he was getting out of it or the fact that he had led her on a wild goose chase for most of the afternoon, he was sadly mistaken.

Still, it was very pleasant to just sit there with her captain, nibble on their snacks, and just relax. There hadn't been much time for relaxation with the war with Aizen on the horizon. But at least for this evening, they didn't need to worry about that. Shunsui pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Thank you, Nanao."

"For what?"

He smiled and nuzzled her ear. "For sticking with me all these years. You could have easily transferred to another division."

Nanao shrugged. "The Eighth is my home. Where else would I go? Even if you do drive me crazy."

Shunsui laughed and kissed her again. Nanao just smiled. This was one wild captain chase that had ended well at least.


	10. Morning Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 14: Foggy Day.

**Morning Routine**

With a sigh, Nanao stepped up to the counter at her favorite coffee shop. She definitely needed a cup of tea this morning. The young woman hadn't slept well at all, and so far, her morning was not going very well. Hopefully, that would change before she got to work. At the very least, the hot tea would wake her up some. The young woman behind the counter smiled at her.

"Your usual, Miss Ise?"

"Yes, please."

It took less than two minutes for her drink to be ready. Nanao held the cup in her hands and let it warm them as she headed for the door. Then teenager careened into her as he dashed out the door. Someone's hands on her shoulders kept Nanao from loosing her balance, but her drink was a total loss. At least she wasn't wearing most of it.

"Come on, sweetheart," a warm baritone voice spoke in her ear. "I'll get you another drink."

Nanao turned with a frown to face a tall business man in a slightly rumpled suit. He smiled at her. Nanao recognized him as someone she'd seen at the coffee shop a number of times.

"I'm not your sweetheart."

His smile widened. "I'm still going to buy you another drink."

True to his word, he bought her another tea latte, despite Nanao's protests. And thanks to the girl at the counter, he also now knew her name. Nanao wasn't quite sure what to make of the man. She was generally a little suspicious of any males who showed interest in her. Nanao had some bad experiences with men using her in the past, and she had never been one to give her trust easily. Still, it really didn't seem to be more than a random act of kindness from the man, and he didn't try to get her number or ask for a date. He was polite, if rather teasing.

And Nanao did appreciate his kindness. The tea had indeed woken her up, and she had arrived at work five minutes behind schedule but still early. Nanao had felt energized enough not to care about being a little behind. It wasn't until lunch when she was digging out her meal that Nanao found a coffee shop gift card tucked in her purse. There was a hasty note scrawled on the sleeve that held it which read: _Hope your day gets better – Shunsui_. Nanao smiled.

After that, Nanao started keeping an eye out for Shunsui when she was at the coffee shop. He seemed to be there almost as often as she was, and they got into the habit of chatting while in line to get their drinks. Shunsui had never mentioned the gift card, even when Nanao had thanked him. Nanao would admit that she was a little wary of him still, but he was a good conversational companion, even if it was typically just for two or three minutes. Nanao didn't know much about him, but then, they rarely discussed anything personal.

It wasn't until nearly two months after their first meeting that their jobs came up in a conversation.

"So just how do you know so much about book groups?

"I'm a librarian."

Shunsui smiled. "Somehow that makes sense, Nanao-chan. What kind of librarian? Academic, school, corporate?"

"Children's. Well, technically, I handle both children's and young adult services at our branch, but more of my training is in children's."

Their drinks appeared on the bar, and Shunsui handed her the taller cup.

"I wouldn't have pegged you for a children's librarian."

Nanao just shrugged. "Going into library school I had intended to go the academic route, but all my favorite professors taught children's courses, so I ended up with a specialty there instead."

"And you ended up liking it much more than you expected."

"Yes," she admitted. "I probably have one of the best jobs in the world. What about you?"

"Medium business owner. I can't truthfully call it small any more, but it's not like it's a big business either."

They parted ways before Nanao had a chance to learn any more, and the subject didn't come up again. But Nanao didn't really mind too much. Their morning routine continued, and twice over the next month or so, the two of them had ended up having lunch together. Nanao had come to consider Shunsui a friend and found that she really enjoyed spending time with him. She didn't have many friends outside of work, and quite honestly, there were times when it was nice not to talk about work.

It was also nice to have some one around who knew her well enough to order her morning drink when she was running late. The first time Shunsui had done that for her Nanao had been grateful for the time he saved her and surprised that he had gotten her drink right. It had happened a number of times since (mostly because Nanao's alarm clock seemed to have gone haywire), and the man had never given her an opportunity to return the favor. Nanao did know what he typically ordered: a medium mocha with a shot of hazelnut flavoring. This latest time, Nanao had been running twenty minutes late and had snatched the cup out of Shunsui's hands and pressed a kiss to his cheek without thinking about it before pelting down the street in order to catch her bus.

Still, Nanao was content with the way their relationship stood, even if Rangiku kept teasing her about 'that mysterious coffee shop boyfriend'. Shunsui was a good friend, and she was comfortable with him, which was more than she could say of most of her co-workers. Oh, there were a few like Rangiku who she was close to but not many. But Shunsui had some how worked his way inside of her defenses, and Nanao was honestly rather pleased about that. She might enjoy solitude for the most part, but there were times when she craved a little company as well.

It was the day from hell really marked a change in things between them. And it honestly was a day from hell, at least for Nanao. It had started with Nanao oversleeping enough that she didn't have enough time to get her usual tea first thing in the morning. That was because she was presenting to the city council and some other organizations this morning about programs for children and young adults at the library. It also meant she was stuck with professional clothes instead of her normal working attire. Suits and high heels did not make Nanao a happy camper.

To make matters worse, it was raining. It had been drizzling when Nanao had left her apartment this morning, so she had made it to her presentation without too much trouble, but when she had left, it was pouring, and Nanao's umbrella gave up the fight about halfway to the coffee shop. So Nanao stepped into the coffee shop soaked to the sink with aching feet and feeling miserable. Miraculously, she had no problem making her order or paying for it. Her drink had even been ready quickly. It was when Nanao had lifted the cup to her lips for a sip as she stepped away from the counter that disaster struck.

Another customer crashed into her from one side, knocking Nanao into one of the staff who dropped the tub of dishes that she was carrying. Nanao swore. It was not her day at all. She stood chilled and dripping wet amid broken glass with coffee and tea spilled down her front. To make matters worse, it seemed like everyone in the coffee shop was staring at her. Nanao bit her lip.

"Oh, Nanao." Warm fabric was wrapped around her shoulders, and Nanao turned slightly to find Shunsui standing there. He held out his hands to her, and once she took them Shunsui carefully lifted her over the mess of glass and coffee. "Come on, Nanao-chan. Let's get you dry and warm."

Given that she was shivering, Nanao was willing to let Shunsui guide her into the lobby of apartment building next to the coffee shop. She hadn't realized that he lived here. Of course, it did explain why she saw him at the coffee shop so frequently. Shunsui ushered her into the elevator and hit the button for the eighth floor. Nanao barely had time to get an impression of his apartment before she found herself in the bathroom.

"I'll grab something clean and dry for you to wear when you're done."

It didn't take long for the hot water to warm her up, and Nanao felt much better for being clean. The loose drawstring pants and sweatshirt that Shunsui had left her were too big, but rolling up the sleeves and pant legs made them manageable. Nanao wrinkled her nose as she considered her wet and dirty clothes. Hopefully, the dry cleaner would be able to salvage the suit. She slipped out of the bathroom and padded down the hall to the livening room.

Shunsui had a very nice apartment. She was a little surprised by the amount of art, but the crammed full bookshelves weren't a surprise. Shunsui was just coming in the front door as she entered the living room, a cup from the coffee shop in his hand. He grinned at her and handed her the cup.

"Feeling better?"

The warmth from the cup felt wonderful to her hands which were still slightly cold. "Yes, thank you. You didn't have to go to the trouble."

"It's not a problem, sweetheart."

Nanao didn't protest the endearment, though she did wrinkle her nose a little. "What time is it? I do actually have to work today unfortunately."

"It's just past noon. When do you have to be there?"

"One o'clock."

Shunsui's lips quirked. "I guess I can't take you out for lunch then. Where would you like to go for dinner?"

It's probably the first time Nanao doesn't hesitate before answering when a man asks her out. "Anything that's not Mexican or Thai. I'm done with work at seven."

He drives her to her apartment, so she can change into working clothes, and Nanao kisses him on the cheek when she says goodbye. They ended up at a sushi restaurant that night and run into Shunsui's best friend and his wife. The four of them wound up sharing a table and by the end of the evening, Nanao had pretty much forgotten how badly her day had started.

On a foggy morning two weeks later, Nanao stepped into the coffee shop with a smile on her face. After scanning the room, she made her way over to the drink pick up counter and Shunsui who greeted her with a smile.

He kissed her nose and handed her the cup of tea. "One large chai latte for my Nanao-chan. See you after work?"

Nanao pushed up on her toes in order to kiss him properly. "I'll drop by around six-ish."

There was no doubt that she loved her morning routine.


	11. Running Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 17: "How Do You Spell That Again?".

**Running Off**

Nanao giggled softly and squeezed Shunsui's hand. He grinned down at her. This was completely irresponsible and uncharacteristic of her. She was going to do it anyway. Nanao knew that she wouldn't regret the decision. And it had been made with a sound mind. Nanao wasn't drunk. She hadn't even been drinking. Well, they all had Champaign with dinner to celebrate, but that didn't really count.

There were six of them here in Vegas celebrating. And they definitely had reason to celebrate. Their little law firm had just won a major case. It was going to enhance their reputation even further as a law firm, and as they were one of the few firms that could deal with cases both in Japan and in the U.S., Nanao had know doubt that they would be seeing an increase in clients after this.

But tonight they were all out having fun. Rangiku and Gin had disappeared off together somewhere early on in the evening. That wasn't that surprising. It was probably a good thing that Rangiku normally worked as the clerk and legal assistant for one of the firm's other lawyers. Otherwise, not much work would actually get done. Retsu and Jyuushiro had gone off to see a show about a half hour ago, and Nanao and Shunsui had decided to go get married.

It was a little harder to explain why. To be perfectly honest, Nanao wasn't entirely sure herself. But it was something that they both wanted, and Vegas gave the two of them a chance to accomplish a wedding without any fuss or complications. And there would be fuss and complications if they tried to get married at home. Between the fact that Shunsui was one of the founding partners of the firm and that there were far too many people in the office who had tried to play matchmaker for the pair of them, Nanao just knew that any type of formal wedding would turn into a three ring circus. This was a much better idea.

And she did love Shunsui. This really was the best solution for an uncomplicated wedding. Even if the clerk who was helping them with their paperwork was rather annoying.

"How do you spell that name again?"

Nanao sighed. "S-h-u-n-s-u-i, last name K-y-o-r-a-k-u."

It didn't take long for Nanao to get fed up with spelling just about every other word of the man. She held out her hand.

"Here. Just give me the forms."

Things moved much faster once Nanao started filling out the paperwork herself. Twenty minutes later they had their marriage license in hand. Shunsui smiled down at her.

"What do we have left, Nanao-chan?"

"Rings, witnesses, and a venue." She gave him a stern look. "We are not getting married by Elvis."

"No?" Shunsui's tone was innocent.

"No. And not any other impersonators either. Simple and goofy are two entirely different things." Nanao knew he was just teasing her; she rather doubted he actually wanted to get married by Elvis either.

"Let's go find rings. That should be easier than trying to track someone down to be our witness. How many of those do we need anyway?"

"Just two."

Thankfully, it was easy enough to get wedding rings in Vegas. And the two of them were able to find a pair that actually suited them and weren't too tacky. Nanao didn't really want anything too ostentatious, but simple band of gold Shunsui had found with elegant vines and flowers engraved on the sides was perfectly suited to her. There was a matching band for Shunsui, and Nanao couldn't help but feel a thrill seeing their rings nestled together in a box.

Finding a venue that they both could live with was a little more difficult. Nanao might be getting married in Vegas, but she wasn't about to have a tacky wedding. Quick and easy did not necessarily mean tacky and cheap. Besides, they were going to have to have photographic evidence (otherwise people at home weren't going to believe that they actually got married), and Nanao wanted pictures that she wasn't going to regret showing to people. A tip from a young woman at a florist led them to the Chapel of Flowers. They had an opening available in an hour for their wedding gazebo, and that left the couple just with the task of rounding up some witnesses for the wedding.

"How likely are we to be able to get a hold of Gin and Rangiku do you think?"

Shunsui considered the question. "Given how quickly they disappeared on us? I doubt either of them is going to answer their phone before tomorrow morning. And the show Jyuu and Retsu have tickets for won't be over either. So, I think we're down to random strangers we find on the street."

Nanao rolled her eyes at him but smiled. "Thankfully, I know other people who are in Vegas tonight. My roommate from college is here for convention. We were planning on getting together for breakfast."

Twenty minutes later, the arrangements were finalized, and they were just waiting for their witnesses to arrive. Nanao grinned when Riza Hawkeye appeared along with a dark haired man who had to be Roy Mustang.

"Thanks for changing our plans, Riza."

The blond smiled. "Not a problem. Besides, someone impartial has to be here. Otherwise there are going to be fights when the time comes to pay the winner of the betting pool on you two."

Shunsui laughed. "Shall we get started then?"

It wasn't exactly a tradition wedding in any sense. Their only guests were their two witnesses, and Nanao wasn't wearing white. She was still dressed as she had been at dinner in violet gown that matched her eyes. Shunsui's charcoal suit was rumpled, and he was wearing that pink tie of his that drove Nanao crazy at times. Nanao met Shunsui's eyes. It was still perfect.

They had chosen a simple ceremony, and quite truthfully, Nanao didn't really pay attention to the words being spoken until it was time for the vows and ring exchange.

"From this day forward, you shall not walk alone. My heart will be your shelter, and my arms will be your home." Shunsui smiled at her as he slid the ring onto her finger. "I am yours, and thou art mine."

Nanao smiled back, repeating the same words as she slid his ring onto his finger. "From this day forward, you shall not walk alone. My heart will be your shelter, and my arms will be your home. I am yours, and thou art mine."

"By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Shunsui swept down and kissed her breathless. Nanao kissed him back and tried not to giggle. This whole thing was a little silly and completely spur of the moment. And it wasn't like her at all. But Nanao was happy with the results, and it was Vegas after all.


	12. Sway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 29: Argentine.

**Sway**

Nanao sighed and buried her head in her hands. She was never going to learn this in time. Her sister's wedding was less than two weeks away now, and Nanao still couldn't dance. It wouldn't be such a big deal except for the fact that Nanao was the maid of honor, and she would be expected to dance a number of times at the reception. It didn't have to be the Argentine Tango or anything fancy, but she would have to dance. She was doomed.

"Nanao-chan? What are you doing here?"

Nanao jumped at the sound of her sister's boss' voice. She hadn't expected him to be here this late. She hadn't expected anyone else to be here to tell the truth. The music studio run by Shunsui Kyoraku and Jyuushiro Ukitake had a lovely dance practice room, and Lisa had suggested that she use it to practice. Nanao had come after working hours, so she wouldn't bother anyone. She would admit that she had also been trying to avoid that man who had just found her. Nanao honestly wasn't quite sure what to make of Shunsui Kyoraku.

The man was lazy, unorganized, flirted with any woman he met, and generally annoying. He was also compassionate, kind, an extremely good musician, and quite business savvy. Nanao had known Kyoraku for years, and he was one of the few people who still had the ability to drive her up the wall. It didn't help that she was also rather attracted to him as well. Nanao tried to ignore that part of herself. The man got under her skin like no other, and yet she enjoyed the time she spent with him.

Kyoraku was leaning against the doorframe with a lazy smile. "I didn't expect to see you around anytime before the wedding. From what Lisa has said, it sounded like you had your plate full with the wedding preparations."

Nanao shrugged, at this point she was willing to admit failure. "This is part of that. I was trying to practice. I've been taking dance lessons, but I appear to be hopeless at it. I was hoping practicing might help, but it seems that I simply can't dance."

Shunsui laughed and held out a hand. "Then I'll teach you."

She raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think you can manage that? No one else has been able to."

He wrapped his hands around hers and drew her to her feet. "Clearly, no one else knew what they were doing. Do you have music?"

Nanao nodded.

"Great."

He fiddled with the stereo system for a moment before the music filled the little dance studio. Shunsui drew her into his arms.

"Close your eyes and relax, Nanao-chan. It won't help if you're tense."

Except that Nanao couldn't dance with her eyes closed. They didn't even make a full circuit of the room before Nanao tangled up the steps by mistake. She let out an exasperated sigh.

"See?"

"Hmm." The look he gave her was thoughtful. "Let's try something different."

The next thing Nanao knew, Shunsui had stolen her glasses. "Give it a try without these."

Nanao could see without her glasses, but most things were rather blurry.

"Listen to the music, Nanao-chan. Feel it. All you need to do is follow me."

Once again he led her into the steps of the dance. Nanao kept her eyes on his face as that was one of the few things that wasn't blurry. To her surprise, it was easier to follow Shunsui's lead this time, and Nanao began to relax as they continued to dance without a misstep. After about two complete circuits of the room without a single misstep, Nanao began to enjoy herself. This wasn't nearly as bad as her classes had been.

Her breath caught in her throat when Shunsui suddenly dipped her and kissed her nose. "You're a natural, Nanao-chan. You just need to stop thinking and dance."

Nanao blushed. Shunsui nuzzled his nose against her and pulled them both upright. They stood there for a moment, completely still. Nanao was tucked in Shunsui's arms, and the look in his dark eyes was warm.

"Dance with me at your sister's wedding?"

Nanao smiled. "Yes."


	13. A Proper Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 13: Ramshackle.

**A Proper Tale**

Once upon a time there was a poor scholar and a prince who lived in the same kingdom. The young scholar was very intelligent, but she was also quite poor. She eked out a meager living in a village outside of the capitol. And then one day, her path crossed that of the prince.

* * *

Nanao sighed as she surveyed the price of ink. It had gone up again, but she needed it too badly not to buy it. The young woman mentally calculated how much she could afford and made a face. She was probably going to have to make the choice between supplies or food again. It didn't happen too often, but it was a choice that Nanao faced far more than she liked. There wasn't much money to be made as scholar unless you were employed by the nobility. And both Nanao's youth and her gender worked against her there. Not many people were willing to hire a young woman when there were plenty of men with the same skills.

She made most of her money teaching the village children, and Nanao supplemented that with whatever commission work she could get. It wasn't much, and Nanao often found that her extra money was eaten up by her one major weakness. There were just some manuscripts that Nanao could not pass up buying. She had become a scholar because she loved knowledge and loved to learn. When she had been in school, Nanao had survived on the scholarships she had earned. She had hoped to get a position as one of the Royal Scholars after school, but apparently she had not met all the requirements to qualify.

"Three bottles of ink please, and a dozen sheets of the linen paper."

The store own carefully wrapped her purchases while Nanao counted out the coins. She handed the money over and tucked her purchases into the bag that already contained a new set of quills and a manuscript that she had just not been able to pass up. She had just enough money left to buy a loaf of bread. Nanao should be able to make that last for at least the rest of the week. She would worry about next week's food later.

Nanao had just left the shop and was heading down the street to the city's main market place when she was very nearly trampled by a passing carriage. She found herself pulled back against someone's chest.

"Careful, sweetheart. Some people aren't very good about paying attention to people on the street."

Nanao frowned. "Thank you, but I'm not your sweetheart."

The man smiled down at her. "Of course not. But any girl with a copy of Basho's poems is worth attention."

His interest in her book of poetry was the only reason that Nanao let him tag along as she did her shopping. It wasn't often that Nanao spent time with someone that she could really discuss poetry with. Over the course of a half hour, Nanao learned that his name was Shunsui and that he had interest in literature, though he wasn't really a scholar. She also learned that the man was generous to fault, and Nanao couldn't entirely fend him off. Especially since he insisted on buying her several fruit that Nanao knew she wouldn't have been able to afford. Shunsui insisted it was a thank you for the good conversation.

* * *

The young scholar intrigued the prince both with her intellect and with her beauty. He found himself far more drawn to her than he was to any of the ladies of the court, and he made up his mind to make sure that they met again. However, it had also been clear to him that he would have a difficult time winning the scholar's trust and friendship, so he would have to tread carefully.

* * *

Shunsui rather liked Nanao Ise. He had quickly learned her patterns for her weekly visit to the capitol's market, and Shunsui made it a point to show up somewhere along her path. The woman challenged him and argued with him, and she was by no means dumb. It wasn't often that Shunsui had a verbal sparring partner outside of his best friend, Lord Ukitake. The real test of course would be to see if Nanao treated him the same after she knew he was the crown prince. He was pretty sure that she had guessed he was some sort high ranked nobility, but he didn't think she knew he was actually the prince.

Nanao was a little bird of a woman, but she was more of a falcon than a song bird. What Shunsui wanted to know was how the Royal Archives managed not to snap her up once she had finished her education. She had a first rate mind, and unlike most of the idiots that worked in the palaces library and archives, Nanao could actually hold an extended discussion about the materials she worked with.

To tell the truth, Shunsui was a little worried about her. It was easy to see some patterns over the handful of weeks he had known his little scholar, and he didn't like some of the things she saw. Nanao didn't nearly enough. She was too practical to do more shopping than she had to, and food was always the last thing she spent money on. That was another thing; the village she worked for didn't pay her nearly enough. School teachers might not be the best paid people in this kingdom, but they were guaranteed a living wage, and Nanao clearly wasn't getting that.

But Shunsui tried to put that out of his mind as he made his way to the stationary store that Nanao preferred. He just wanted to enjoy his afternoon with Nanao. The woman in question was already in the shop when he slipped inside. Nanao was just finishing her purchases, and the two of them easily fell into a conversation about the merits of the haiku versus the sonnet. Shunsui felt himself relax.

It was an extremely pleasant afternoon. Nanao was always such good company compared to the courtiers he normally spent time with, and Shunsui was glad for the break. He was also rather startled to realize that he rather wanted to kiss Nanao as well, but he knew her well enough by now to know that something like that would just scare her off. Still, it was a new complexity to their relationship that he was going to have to think about some.

Shunsui was enjoying himself right up until the point when an out of breath messenger found them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your Royal Highness, but there's been an incident. Lord Ukitake thinks you need to come back right away."

Shunsui sighed. The cat was definitely out of the bag now. Nanao was frowning slightly at him.

"You're the crown prince," it was not a question.

Shunsui nodded. Nanao hit him on the shoulder.

"Idiot. What are you waiting for? Go deal with whatever crisis it is. You'll see me next week."

Shunsui grinned.

* * *

Now the prince and the scholar continued to meet, and the prince began to fall in love with the young scholar. However, one day the scholar did not arrive to meet him as usual. The prince waited for her, but she never came. Nor did she come the next day or the next week. After a fortnight, the prince decided to go looking for his scholar.

* * *

Nanao shivered as she hunched over the manuscript. She was cold and hungry, but she needed to get this work done. Once it was, she would have enough money to buy food for the next week, and hopefully, once she was eating more than just bread and water, Nanao would be able to fight off the slight chill she seemed to have caught. She hadn't planned on ending up in such dire straits, but the price of both paper and ink had gone up once again. The young woman had been lucky to get the commission job she was working on, and it would hopefully take care of her for the next few weeks.

She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't realize she was no longer alone until he was almost on top of her. The prince cleared his throat softly, trying not to startle her.

Nanao looked up from her work. "Your Highness."

He sighed. "How many times have I told you to call me Shunsui?"

After learning just who he was, Nanao would admit that she had become a little more formal around the man. But that in part was just because it irritated him. After all, he irritated her all the time, and she wanted to return the favor.

"What are you doing here?" He had never sought her out at home before.

The prince frowned then gently wrapped his haori around her. It was much warmer than the thin haori she was wearing. "I was worried about you. You haven't been to the market in nearly three weeks now."

"I've been busy." Nanao rose to her feet. "I'm afraid I can't offer you much in the way of hospitality."

Shunsui frowned when she swayed on her feet. The next thing Nanao knew, she had been scooped up in his arms. "You are coming home with me. Clearly, someone needs to take care of you and refuse to lose you simply because people can't be bothered to pay you what your work is worth. Besides, I could use a few scholars of my own that aren't on someone else's payroll. Therefore, I'm making you my first royal scholar."

She apparently didn't have a choice in the matter, given the fact that Shunsui didn't seem at all inclined to put her down anytime soon. But Nanao had to admit, she didn't mind too much. At least not at the moment. She would argue with him later about it. This was not they way you went about hiring scholars, and she wasn't going anywhere without her personal library. Still, Nanao couldn't say she would mind the job.

* * *

The prince found his scholar ill and alone, so he decided that he would take her home with him. After all, he was in love with her. And they lived happily ever after.

* * *

There was no way that Shunsui was going to leave Nanao in this ramshackle little house, especially not when she was clearly unwell. Besides, he had been looking for an excuse to offer her a job in a way that wouldn't offend her. He was going to take her home with him and make sure she was well again before he let her out of the palace. Carrying her out of the rather pathetic excuse of a house the village had given her, Shunsui headed straight for the horse he had tied up outside.

Shunsui smiled and set her on his horse before climbing on behind her. He was going to keep Nanao. Maybe even after a few more years he might be able to convince her to marry him. At the very least, he would have someone who shared his love of literature close at hand. He kissed the top of her head. Of course, first they were probably going to have to argue about her new job and moving her into the palace, but Shunsui rather found he was looking forward to arguing with her for a long time to come.


	14. Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is slightly AU. Theme 11: Slight Discoloration.

**Mine**

Nanao wasn't entirely sure what had prompted this. She could go over the sequence of events any number of times in her head, but she still couldn't figure out how it resulted in this. Nanao was currently trapped in her captain's lap while he gently ran his thumb back and forth over the dark bruise on her wrist.

She was rather thankful that the bruise was the result if an accident given her captain's reaction to it. Captain Kyoraku never reacted well to her being injured quite honestly, but this was a reaction Nanao hadn't seen before. The bruise was from a recent mission where one of the shinigami from another division had grabbed her wrist rather hard. He hadn't realized that Nanao was in the middle of a kidou incantation at the time, and she had to wrench her hand out of his grasp to keep from injuring the man.

That had been yesterday, but her wrist was still quite tender, and when Kyoraku had caught her wrist moments again, she had whimpered in pain. The next thing she had known, he'd pushed up her sleeve to investigate, and once the man had seen her bruise, she'd been yanked into his arms. And he hadn't let her go. Kyoraku just held her, and Nanao hadn't attempted to get away from him after her first try. She might not know what was going on, but it was clear that Captain Kyoraku was reacting to something more than her just being injured and that Nanao's presence was some how important.

And there really wasn't anything wrong with being trapped in his arms. It was a little awkward, yes, but Nanao doubted that anyone was going to walk into the office (normally she had to chase people into the office), and everyone did silly things in order to comfort one another on occasion. Given the upcoming Winter War, it wasn't surprising that everyone was close to their breaking point. So Nanao let him hold her, and she would admit to talking some comfort from the embrace too.

* * *

Shunsui was holding onto his temper by a mere thread, and that was mostly because he had Nanao here in his arms. He had the feeling that he had startled Nanao, but she seemed relaxed now, and holding her was keeping things in perspective for him. There was not much in the world that really seriously sparked his temper, but having Nanao shy away from his touch and whimper in pain was one thing that definitely set him off.

The dark mark on her pale skin was wide, and he could easily see that it was still tender. It was the shape of someone's hand, and that was what really bothered him. Nanao was his, and he wouldn't have anyone hurting her. Unfortunately, hunting down whoever was responsible for her bruise and beating them to a bloody pulp was not an acceptable response, no matter how satisfying it would be. He could be very possessive when the circumstances called for it, and Nanao's physical presence was one of the only things keeping him grounded at the moment.

Very few people other than Jyuushiro knew just what he was capable of. Shunsui had a dark side that he kept leashed most of the time, but Nanao, especially an injured Nanao had a way of bringing his protective instincts to the fore. It was probably a good thing that Nanao had never been severely hurt on a mission with him. Shunsui honestly didn't know how he would react to that; the last time Jyuu had been badly hurt on a mission, Shunsui had ended up completely obliterating the hollows they were fighting.

He shook his head, trying to clear away dark thoughts. Other than the fact that Nanao had been injured, right now there was nothing wrong with the world. At least, nothing that Shunsui had any control over. Nanao was safe and here with him. He held her tight in his arms, unwilling to let her go. Nanao leaned into his embrace. Shunsui sighed and brought her bruised wrist to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the injury. She was his Nanao-chan, and she was still here with him. For the moment that would have to be enough.


	15. Only You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is slightly AU. Theme 7: The Various Blood Types.

**Only You**

Shunsui wouldn't let go of her hand. He didn't actually think he was capable of physically letting go of the pale little hand that rest in his own. He was almost afraid that if he let go of her hand, Nanao would stop breathing. It was the steady rise and fall of her chest and the thrum of her pulse against his fingers that told Shunsui she was still alive. Other than that she was still and pale in the Fourth Division bed.

He was going to kill Mayuri. The Twelfth had asked to borrow Nanao due to her kidou mastery for a mission in order to test some new technology for shinigami. Things had gotten out of hand. Nanao had saved the group, but it had been a heavy price. Shunsui didn't think that he would ever forget the sight of her tumbling out of the gate covered in her own blood. He shuddered. He'd used his haori to try and stop some of the bleeding while they waited for members of the Fourth Division to arrive. Retsu had kicked him out once they had gotten to the Fourth and after she had asked which of blood types was Nanao's, and Shunsui had spent nearly six hours waiting. Jyuushiro had kept him company while he waited for the news, and his best friend's presence had probably been the only thing that kept Shunsui sane during that time. Finally, he had been allowed in to the room where Nanao was. He hadn't left since.

It was hard to look at Nanao though. She was so pale and still. So he kept his focus on the hand that he held in his own. Her hands were so small compared to his own, but they were skilled and competent and also very gentle. Nanao's hands were one of his favorite things to watch when they were in the office together. Her movements were always sure and graceful. It was easier to think about her beautiful hands than to think about how badly hurt she was or the fact that Retsu didn't know when she would wake up.

This was not supposed to happen. Nanao was supposed to have been safe. If Shunsui had any idea that there might have been danger to her, he would have been there. He knew that Nanao was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but she deserved to have some watch her back all the same. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her. Shunsui knew that he was a little more overprotective of her because of the circumstances of Lisa's death, but over the years Nanao had become an integral part of his life. It went beyond just the fact that she made the Eighth run so smoothly. He couldn't loose her. Not Nanao.

Nanao had become just as an important fixture in Shunsui's life as Jyuu was, and he wanted a full future with her. Her presence was soothing and a comfort to him in more ways than one. Shunsui was pretty sure that she was only woman that would ever completely capture his heart. He wanted a chance to convince Nanao he was serious about her and to explore just what their partnership beyond that of captain and lieutenant could be. Nanao was everything he loved best about his current life, and he couldn't bear to lose her. And she did recover, Shunsui wasn't sure he would be able to let her out of his sight ever again.

"Captain?" The soft question caught him off guard. Shunsui's eyes shot up to her face. Nanao's pretty eyes were open, but she was frowning. "What happened to the rest of the team? Are they all right?"

"They're all fine. You saved them. My brave Nanao-chan." He kissed her palm. "I should have been there."

She offered him a little smile. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, though back up would have been nice. It was not your fault, Shunsui Kyoraku."

Shunsui moved, releasing her hand. He cupped her cheek in his hand, and she leaned into his touch. He smiled down at her, and Nanao reached out a bandaged hand to cover his. She didn't say anything, but her eyes spoke for her. Free from the obstruction of her glasses, Shunsui had no problem reading them.

* * *

Neither of them noticed the door open or Unohana and Ukitake peek in. The two captains shared a smile and shut the door. The paperwork and after mission reports could wait for a little longer. Kyoraku and Ise deserved a few moments of peace together.


	16. A Birthday Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 22: Solpsist.

**A Birthday Present**

Nanao Kyoraku let out a soft sigh and straightened her yukata. She still wasn't quite sure how to give her husband his birthday present this year. While Nanao was quite aware that he would appreciate it, she just wasn't sure what the best way to give it to him was. One hand fell to rest upon her stomach. There was a hint of a curve there now, but no other sign that she was pregnant. Captain Unohana had just confirmed that for Nanao earlier this week.

At the time, it had seemed like a good idea to wait and tell Shunsui on his birthday. They had talked about starting a family before, but neither of them had expected it to happen so soon. They had only been married for about a year now, and the fertility rates of female shinigami weren't high. Still, Nanao couldn't say she wasn't pleased. She was just a little nervous. The whole salutation was a little overwhelming to think about at times.

Looking out over the little garden that ran along side the private quarters she shared with Shunsui, Nanao sighed again. There really was no use in worrying over things. It wouldn't change them, and no matter what Shunsui's initial reaction to the news was, Nanao was certain he would be happy once it sunk in. He was probably going to be unbearably overprotective once he found out, but that was inevitable. Pregnancies were fairly rare among shinigami, and Shunsui wouldn't risk anything going wrong.

"Nanao-chan?" Her husband peered out on to the porch. "There you are, precious."

She let him wrap his arms around her, drawing her back against his chest. There would have been a time when she would have protested the action, but that was a long time ago now (unless he tried it in the office, then all bets were off).

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Nanao nodded. They had plans for birthday picnic this afternoon. It would be just the two of them, Captain Ukitake, and Captain Unohana. Shunsui moved to let go of her, but as his hand slid over her stomach he paused. Nanao smiled and placed a hand over his.

"Nanao?"

She turned so she could see his face. Shunsui's eyes were rather wide.

"Are you…you're sure?"

With a smile, Nanao nodded. "Captain Unohana thinks I'm about two and a half months along, so unless you're of the opinion that only your own mind exists for sure, then yes, I'm certain."

Shunsui scooped her up in his arms, hugging her close. Nanao snuggled into the embrace, all of her tension and nervousness gone. She had known things were going to just fine.

He nuzzled her nose. "When is your due date, Nanao?"

"Some time in January." Nanao smiled. "Happy Birthday, Shunsui."

Nanao slid her fingers into his hair and pulled his face down in order to kiss him. She would say that this particular birthday gift was a success.


	17. Blessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 15: In Miniature. This is set a number of years after the Winter War.

**Blessed**

Shunsui Kyoraku had long ago decided that he was incredibly blessed. It felt like that was more than true at the moment. His daughter was asleep in his lap. Miyako was two and rather fond of naps. And Shunsui was more than happy to be her pillow. She rather reminded of her mother at the moment, not that Shunsui had known Nanao when she was this young. It was her posture and face that reminded him of his wife. Miya had inherited his chestnut hair, though both of the children had Nanao's eyes.

Miya was their youngest. Their oldest was Tatsuyoshi, fondly known as Yoshi, and he took after his mother both in looks and in personality. Though anyone would agree that Yoshi was far more mellow than his mother. At nine, he was far ahead of the curve when it came to both kidou and sword work. Actually, Shunsui would guess that Yoshi was probably equal to many of the academy students, even if he was much younger than most of them. His interests mainly lay in improving his kidou skills, working on his sword work, reading, or spending time with his best friend, Koneko Urahara. The two of them were shaping up to be just as dangerous a duo as Shunsui and Jyuushiro had been in their youth.

Tatsuyoshi had been seven when his sister was born. Miya had come as a surprise to them. Admittedly, they hadn't been not trying to have another children, but she wasn't exactly planned either. Not that either he or Nanao had been unhappy about Miyako, though Nanao had decided that two children were enough. Miya might be young, but she too was showing signs of a distinctive personality. And she was absolutely fascinated by her Auntie Retsu, though by far Miyako's favorite person (besides her parents that was) was her Uncle Jyuushiro. She was a mellow, happy child, even if she didn't seem inclined to sleep at night.

They both were delightful children, and Shunsui enjoyed being a father. Neither child was himself or Nanao in miniature despite the common traits they shared, and that was as it should be. Neither himself nor Nanao wanted their children to be exact copies. It was much more interesting to see just who the two children would grow up to be complete with their own quirks.

There was the soft padding of bare feet on wood and moments later Tatsuyoshi sighed and sprawled on the porch beside his father. He had a book in hand and clearly wasn't interested in anything other than its contents. Shunsui just smiled. He was a very lucky man indeed. He had two lovely children and the woman of his dreams as his wife. There really wasn't anything that could make his life better at this point. Not many people could say that.

Another set of footsteps sounded on the porch, and Shunsui looked up to find Nanao standing in the doorway.

"Shunsui, have you seen Miya?"

"She's asleep, Nanao-chan."

Nanao let out a soft sigh and made her way over to him. "I put her down for a nap an hour ago, but when I came back to check on her, she wasn't there."

He just shrugged. "She climbed into my lap about forty minutes ago and promptly fell asleep."

Nanao let out a content sigh and settled beside him, leaning against his shoulder. Shunsui pressed a soft kiss to her temple. This was more than he could have ever asked for. Shunsui loved his family more than anything. He had to admit that until Nanao had come along, he hadn't really pictured himself with a family, but now Shunsui found that his family made him feel complete. He couldn't imagine a life without Nanao or his children now. Nanao rest her head on his shoulder, and Shunsui let out a content sigh. Moments like these made every fight and battle he'd faced worth it.


	18. A Spring Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 30: Completion. This is set a number of years after the Winter War.

**A Spring Day**

With a soft sigh, Nanao settled under the blooming cherry tree. Shunsui reached over and slipped his fingers between hers. Nanao just smiled. Their entire family was out enjoying the cherry blossoms this afternoon. They weren't the only ones taking advantage of the beautiful weather and the blossoming trees, but none of the raucous drinking parties were anywhere near Nanao's family. They had learned that lesson early on.

Tatsuyoshi snuck up behind Shunsui and mimed pouring a bucket of water over his father's head. Nanao stifled her giggles.

"I know you're there, Yoshi." Shunsui didn't bother to open his eyes.

His son just laughed and sprawled on the picnic blanket, snatching one of the onigiri from the box lunch they had brought. The twelve year old had taken after Nanao both in looks and in his skill with kidou, though he was more like his father when it came to sword work. Yoshi was very much like her personality wise, but he showed his mischievous streak much more often. He used his seriousness to cover up any number of pranks and schemes. Then again, Yoshi's closest friend was Koneko Urahara, and putting those two together was just asking for mischief. But really, Nanao's were wonderful most of the time.

Miyako was her father's daughter. She had Shunsui's sunny personality as well as his chestnut hair and eyes. Miya was currently perched in Jyuushiro-san's lap (Nanao had been forbidden to call him 'Captain Ukitake' when she was off duty sometime after her wedding). Her daughter was inordinately fond of her Uncle Jyuushiro. Currently, she was crowning him with a wreath of flowers. She had already braided his hair. Miyako's other favorite relative was her Auntie Retsu, who the five year old would follow around constantly. Shunsui joked that his daughter was determined to end up in the Fourth Division.

Retsu was currently occupied with her own daughter, who was also engaged in making flower wreaths. The three year old wasn't quite as deft at the task as her friend, but Retsu's help, Kiyoshi Ukitake had managed to produce a crown for herself and was now working on one for her mother. It was just the nine of them this afternoon (Urahara, Yoruichi, and Koneko hadn't been able to come), but Nanao didn't really mind. In truth, she considered Retsu, Jyuushiro, and Kiyoshi to be her extended family. After all, Jyuushiro and Shunsui were practically brothers.

Nanao had found that having a family was one of the nicest things that had ever happened to her. Oh, she had considered her division to be her family for years, but she had never really shared the closeness she felt with Shunsui and the others. Having a family made her feel rather complete, and Nanao would always feel blessed by her children. Her children were amazingly imperfect, but in some ways that was what made them so special.

Shunsui wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Nanao laughed and let him pull her into his lap.

"My Nanao-chan, what are you thinking?" Shunsui rest his chin on her shoulder.

She twisted slightly so she could kiss him. "Nothing much. Just family."


	19. Choices Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 23: As Opposed To.

**Choices Made**

Nanao retreated to the safety of her office in order to sort her thoughts out. They were something of a jumble, and she had the distinct feeling she was chasing things in circles. She had no idea how this had happened. She had never been one to invite attention, especially for the romantic sort. Her captain was one thing. Nanao could admit to herself that she loved the man, but she was comfortable with their routine, and he knew when to back off. But nothing like this had ever happened to her before.

The new Fifth Seat of the Fifth Division had decided that he was in love with her and was pursuing her rather relentlessly. Nanao had not really been sure how to respond to someone besides her captain chasing after her, but she had done her best not to encourage the man. It was flattering, but truthfully, she already had all the attention she wanted from the one man she wanted it from. Nanao had known from the start that she wasn't interested in getting into a relationship with anyone other than her captain. Unfortunately, Ichiro Takei wasn't taking no for an answer. To Nanao's mind, things were getting out of hand.

Takei's latest strategy had been to ambush her during the course of her day with flowers and ask her out. Nanao had turned him down every time, but he seemed to think she was playing hard to get. She didn't want to hurt the man's feelings, but this needed to stop. And Nanao sort of doubted that the techniques she used with her captain would be appropriate in this instance. But she needed to put a stop to this. It was actually bothering her a great deal, and it was getting to be too much for her to handle.

For all her complaints, Nanao truly loved Shunsui, and letting someone else think they had any sort of chance with her was cruel. Nanao might not be ready to do anything about her relationship with her captain, but she wasn't about to get involved with anyone else in the meantime. She just had to figure out how to get Takei to listen to what she was saying when she turned him down. Maybe if she went to him instead of waiting until he found her.

Resolved to finally put an end to all of this mess, Nanao rose from her desk and headed out the door. It did not take her long to find Takei. Taking a deep breath, Nanao met his eyes.

"Takei-san, I am truly flattered by your attention and affections, but I can't return them. Please accept that and stop pursuing me."

He smiled at her. "Now, there's no need to taking playing hard to get too far, sweetheart. I realize that you're not used to playing this game, but this is the part where you give in."

Nanao's jaw tightened. Once again, he wasn't listening to her. He reached out and grabbed her wrist. Nanao tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go.

"I am truly sorry, but I can't return your feelings." Her spine stiffened as a very familiar presence came nearer. He came to stand behind her, lending her his imposing presence, and Nanao felt confident for the first time in this confrontation. "Please leave me alone except for in the course of your duties."

Takei's face fell, but he left without any of his normal antics. Without speaking, Nanao turned back towards their office. Captain Kyoraku kept pace beside. The silence was rather comforting. Once they were inside the office, Kyoraku shut the outside door before coming to stand before her.

"Are you all right, Nanao-chan?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Let me know if he keeps bothering you."

Nanao nodded again. "Yes, sir. I..."

But the words she wanted to say wouldn't come out. She wanted to reassure him that he didn't need to worry about someone like Takei coming between them, whatever their relationship was at the moment. But Nanao really wasn't ready to tell what she felt for him. Not just yet. Shunsui cupped her cheek with one hand.

"Beloved," his voice was soft and soothing, "you're not ready to say it yet. That's fine. I can wait until you are

But then Shunsui tilted her face up to kiss her.

"I love you, precious, and you need to know that. When you're ready, I'll be waiting."


	20. You've Got a Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 8: Ah, the Wonders Of.

**You've Got a Friend**

Nanao blinked. "Are you sure?"

Retsu Unohana nodded. "I know you won't let anything go wrong, and you're the best person to be at my right hand in this."

"But shouldn't someone like Isane be your maid of honor?"

The older woman waved aside Nanao's protests. "She's got enough on her plate with starting her residency. She's not going to be offended. Please, Nanao?"

"All right." Nanao reached for her cup of tea. "How far have you and Jyuushiro gotten with the wedding planning?"

Her friend laughed. "Well, we've got a location, and I have my dress. It's really not going to be that large of a wedding. Neither Jyuu nor I wanted a bunch of strangers or acquaintances there just so we had more guests. It'll just be his family, mine, and our friends. You, Isane, and Miyako are my attendants. Shunsui's going to be the best man, and Kaien and Seinosuke are the groomsmen."

"You're joking," Nanao sighed; she should have known that there would be a catch to this. As much as she admired and respected Shunsui Kyoraku, the man drove her absolutely crazy most of the time. He was in many ways her complete opposite, and he seemed to delight in irritating her.

"He's Jyuushiro's best friend," Retsu offered sympathetically. "I know you two don't exactly get along, but you're not going to have to spend that much time with him. Besides, Shunsui promised to behave for the wedding."

"Don't worry about it," Nanao told her friend. "Now, what do you need me to do?"

* * *

Being the maid of honor had turned out to be less work than Nanao had anticipated. It helped that Retsu was pretty well organized with her wedding planning and didn't want one of those monstrous, complicated weddings. Simplicity really was in many ways the theme of the wedding. However, there was work to be done. Nanao was spending Saturday helping Retsu decided on bridesmaid dresses, and there was still the bridal shower to be planned. Given the floral theme of the wedding, a spring tea seemed appropriate for the shower. Nanao also had to plan the hen party, and she wasn't quite sure she had any ideas for that.

However, at the moment Nanao was preoccupied with finding both a wedding gift for Retsu and Jyuushiro as well as finding the bakery Retsu had read about in a magazine. It was supposed to be in this neighborhood, and for some reason, Nanao was having trouble finding the address. She was supposed meet with the chef in order to set up a tasting and to get an idea about what a cake might cost. She was busy enough searching through her purse for the piece of paper that had that address on it that she walked right into someone.

"I'm sorry." Nanao looked up.

"That's all right, sweetheart." Shunsui Kyoraku grinned down at her.

Nanao stifled the urge to rake a hand through her hair. "Hello, Mr. Kyoraku. Can I help you?"

"Well, if you know where Charm City Cakes is, that would help. Jyuu didn't exactly give great directions."

Nanao sighed. She should have expected something like this. Neither Retsu nor Jyuushiro could resist matchmaking.

"I have the address somewhere in my purse."

"Great. I wanted to talk to you anyway."

Nanao raised an eyebrow at him. "About what?"

"I wanted to talk to you about the bachelor party."

"I see." She also rather doubted that she wanted to hear about this. At least she had found the address of the bakery. "We're looking for 4813 Carlton St. What about the bachelor party?"

The man fidgeted. "Well, you know that Jyuu's not really into the whole drinking and debauchery thing, and that it probably wouldn't be good for his health, but the guys will give him a really hard time if he doesn't have one of those parties, so can you just act like you're furious at me for throwing one, and I'll just get Kaien and Seinosuke roaring drunk, and then Jyuu and I can escape to have a nice quiet private party, and no one will know better."

She didn't think he had breathed once during that sentence. Still, it was a fairly reasonable request. And it was definitely a better idea that actually having a wild bachelor party. Nanao doubted it would be hard for her to act irritated with the man.

"I think I can manage that."

Shunsui beamed at her. "Perfect. Now let's find that cake."

* * *

Talking on the phone and juggling multiple shopping bags was a skill Nanao had never really mastered. However, today was her only day off this week, and with the wedding only a month away, she had plenty to do. According to her mental checklist, Nanao still had to pick up the shoes that were being dyed to match the bridesmaids' dresses, drop off a check at the florist, collect the order of custom bottles of bubbles for the reception, and see if she could find earrings that went with the bridesmaids' dresses. And she also needed to eat lunch at some point.

"Don't worry, Ayame. I'll be back at work tomorrow. I'm sure you can handle the after school story time today." Nanao shifted, trying to get the cell phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder in a more comfortable position. "No, you don't need to get anything ready for my toddler story time tomorrow. The picture books for the main display are all on my desk. You don't need to work on the display unless you have a lot of free time on your hands. Look, Ayame, I really have to go now. Yes, I remember there's a staff meeting tomorrow morning. No-"

Nanao stumbled over the curb and nearly crashed into one of the other pedestrians.

"I'm sorry-"

She froze when she looked up. Nanao had been studiously avoiding Kaname Tousen since he had nearly destroyed her life. He had been a T.A. when she was doing her Masters of Library Science, and over the course of a term the man had proceed to gain her trust and steal her research for her thesis. Nanao hadn't known what was going on until she had been called up in front an academic board to be accused of plagiarism. Things had gotten sorted out in the end, but it had taken nearly two terms, and Nanao had been academic probation for both of them, and the whole situation had given her an undeserved reputation that had followed her until she had graduated. And Tousen had been long gone by then.

"Well, if it isn't little miss library student. Did you ever manage to get your degree or did they throw you out finally?"

Nanao found that she didn't know how to respond. She had never expected to see Tousen again, and she found her tongue was as frozen as the rest of her. She didn't know what she wanted to say. If she wanted to yell at him or just ignore him or flaunt her success in his face.

"Nanao-chan! There you are."

For the first time, Kyoraku's use of that nickname didn't annoy her. Before she knew what was going on Shunsui had relieved her of the bulk of her bags, slipping an arm around her waist. Nanao shook herself free of her frozen state.

"Shunsui?"

He grinned at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Retsu sent me to help with your errands. She suggested I could carry things. How about we get lunch first?"

She nodded. Any excuse to get away from Tousen was appreciated. And with a sudden flash of insight, Nanao knew how she was going to deal with the man. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of bothering her.

"That was next on my list."

She glanced at Tousen as Shunsui led her away; she couldn't say it was nice seeing him again, but seeing him again hadn't turned her into a hysterical crying mess or really done anything except give her a momentary shock. He didn't have power over her anymore. She had moved on with her life, and Tousen really wasn't anything except a regrettable footnote.

"Are you all right, Nanao?" Shunsui asked her as soon as they were out of earshot, his tone worried.

"I am." It surprised her, but it was true. After those first few moments of horror and panic, she found she really was. Though she still appreciated the rescue. "Lunch?"

He gave her a long look then gave her a rueful smile. "All right. I'm stuck carrying your bags all afternoon, aren't I?"

Nanao just smiled.

* * *

Nanao could admit that she was hiding. The rehearsal dinner was in full swing, and she was avoiding returning to the table. For some reason, Isane, Miyako, and Rangiku (the musical soloist for the wedding) had decided that teasing Nanao was a great way to spend the evening. So Nanao had taken any excuse she could come up with in order to get a break. Her current one was making sure that the flowers for the reception tables (which had arrived that afternoon) were put away properly.

It was much more peaceful in the kitchen of the hall where the reception would be held. Nanao leaned against one of the counters and sighed. She should have snagged one of the cartons of Chinese food and brought it with her when she made her escape. At least then she would manage to get part of her meal in peace. It was a rather informal dinner, even if it was being held at the same hall as the reception. What it had amounted to was one very large order of take out Chinese. She smoothed the folds of her rose colored dress. Shunsui had teased her when she arrived about wearing his favorite color. And Nanao had to admit that she had thought of him when she'd pulled it out of the closet.

The man had proved to be more help with the wedding than Nanao had expected. He had also toned down his teasing quite a bit. Of he still teased her, but he also seemed to exactly when to back off now as well. And it was nice that not every single conversation they had now consisted of him flirting with her and her scolding him. Of course, Retsu and Jyuushiro still seemed to be throwing the two of them together whenever possible. The wonders of matchmaking friends never ceased to amaze Nanao. It was like they thought that if they stuck the two of them together enough, something would happen. Then again, both the bride and groom were hopeless romantics.

"Nanao-chan?" Shunsui appeared in the doorway. "So this is where you're hiding. Retsu was beginning to worry about you. You're missing dinner. At this rate, there won't be much left for you to eat."

She shrugged. "There are a few more things that I need to get done."

And she didn't think going back out there would lead to anything besides her own embarrassment.

The man rolled his eyes at her answer. "Why am I not surprised? You always have 'a few more things to get done', Nanao. That's why I brought you this."

He held out a carton and a pair of chopsticks. Nanao blinked as she took it, a little surprised to that it was full of fried wantons with sweet and sour sauce. They were her favorite, though she wasn't sure if Shunsui had known that.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, precious. Rangiku and Miyako have turned on Isane at this point though I can't guarantee that they'll leave you alone if you come back."

She nibbled at a wanton. "Well, that's an incentive to rejoin the party."

He laughed and stole a wanton out of the box. "True enough. But you should come back anyway. We started recounting the saga of Retsu and Jyuu, and you need to be there to tell the part about the proposal of doom."

Nanao smiled; she had been the only witness to the time when Retsu had been proposed to by someone else and in front of Jyuushiro. It had not gone well. For anyone.

Shunsui offered her his arm. "Come on. I'll even tell the story about the lengths Jyuu went to in order to get Retsu's phone number the first time."

Nanao laughed and took his arm.

* * *

Nanao took a deep breath and tried to relax. Everything was running smoothly so far. Miyako was putting the finishing touches on Retsu's hair while Isane wrangled the flower girl and the ring bearer. Nanao just needed to make sure that the guys were ready. The wedding was supposed to start in about fifteen minutes. She only hoped that the rest of the wedding would go as smoothly. Nanao wasn't sure why she was so paranoid about something going wrong, but the feeling that something was going to happen kept niggling at the back of her mind.

She slipped into the room designated for the groom and his attendants, and found the place in rather controlled chaos. The guys were all dressed, but it seemed like at least half of them were fighting with their ties. Kaien was fine, but then Miyako had probably done his for him, and Jyuushiro never had any trouble with this sort of thing. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Nanao headed over to Seinosuke to fix his tie. Then she turned to Shunsui. She raised an eyebrow at his pale pink tie. Unlike the rest of the men, it didn't match the pale blue of the bridesmaid dresses.

"What?" He asked. "Do you think that Jyuu would be so cruel as to make me forgo my trademark color?"

Nanao just shook her head as she tied his tie. "Do you still have the rings?

Shunsui patted his pocket. "The rings are safe with me."

"I need Jyuushiro's."

He grinned at her. "I don't think it will fit you, sweetheart."

She just glared at him, and Shunsui produced the thick gold band from his breast pocket. Nanao slipped it onto her thumb (it was the finger the ring would fit on) and gave Shunsui a serious look.

"You all need to be in place in ten minutes. Do you think you can manage that?"

"Not to fret, Nanao-chan. Jyuu will be there."

The wedding itself went perfectly. Retsu was a vision in her silver-grey gown with her dark curls and the blue and purple of the hydrangeas in her hair and her bouquet. The ceremony was simple and elegant like the couple it was for. Nanao had a brief moment of panic when it felt like the ring was stuck on her thumb, but it came off easily a moment later, and she handed it over to the bride. Shunsui had winked at her when he handed Jyuushiro the ring for Retsu.

Before long they were processing down the aisle, and it was off to the hall next door for the reception. Nanao's maid of honor speech went off without a hitch, even if it wasn't as funny as Shunsui's. Retsu and Jyuushiro made a lovely picture out on the dance floor. Once their first dance was finished, the dance floor quickly filled up. Nanao was content to sit and watch for the most part, but Shunsui demanded that she dance with him at least once. Nanao couldn't say that she minded. Then it was time to cut the cake and prepare for the final two events of the reception: the bouquet toss and the garter toss.

Nanao helped round up the women for the bouquet toss and then hung back, keeping at the edge of the group. She wasn't really paying attention to what was going on, making a mental list of the duties she still had left this evening. She caught what was tossed at her instinctively, and then Nanao bothered to look at what it was.

Her arms were full of hydrangeas. The bouquet had landed right in her hands. Nanao let Isane lead her to the chair set up for the catcher of the bouquet as the garter toss began. She was still in shock when the garter practically hit Shunsui in the face. Retsu and Jyuushiro shared conspiratorial smiles. Shunsui twirled the garter around his finger. Nanao just wrinkled her nose at him. He grinned at her then kissed her nose before kneeling down in front of her chair. Shunsui slid the garter up her slender leg. Nanao knew she had to be blushing furiously.

"I guess we're next, Nanao-chan. I knew I'd convince you to marry me eventually."

She hit him with the bouquet, unaware of the camera going off at that moment. The scene was immortalized in the wedding pictures. A year and a half later, they used it on their engagement announcement.


	21. Baby It's Cold Outside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 26: Artistic.

**Baby It's Cold Outside**

The Seireitei was a pristine white wonderland. A deep blanket of snow covered everything as far as the eye could see. The entire world was covered in snow, and it made for a rather lovely picture out the office window. Nanao had a cup of hot tea at her elbow, and she was making real headway in getting the paperwork done. Of course, Nanao knew very well that the day wouldn't stay peaceful and serene. The snowball fights between divisions were legendary, and sooner of later one would start. Once that happened, there would be no peace.

But it was still early enough in the day that she was one of the few people up. Nanao sipped her tea and waded through the paperwork. She wasn't very fond of the cold quite truthfully, but as the office was currently nice and warm, she could appreciate the beauty of the snow. It was hard to enjoy the artistic qualities of something when you were freezing after all. And Nanao would admit that snowy days like this could be a great deal of fun, especially at the Eighth Division. They did hold the record for most wins during the snowball fights, though the honor was shared with the Thirteenth.

By midmorning Nanao's tea was gone and there were signs of life stirring outside. Her pile of paperwork was down to mere two inches left to finish. Just past noon her captain swept into the office, bringing with him cold air and the smell of lunch.

"It's too cold to work, Nanao-chan." Shunsui grinned at her. "I brought you lunch, and then we can go out and have some fun."

Nanao wrinkled her nose at him. But she didn't turn down the bowl of thick noodles and hot broth he had brought.

Jyuushiro bit back laughter as he watched Nanao nail Shunsui in the face with a snowball. The main battle was over with the Eighth once again emerging victorious from the field of battle. Of course, once it had been confirmed that they had once, the division had turned on one another. This too was part of tradition. And quite honestly, the only two people really left standing at this point were the captain and his lieutenant.

Nanao was clearly winning this battle, though Jyuu had the suspicions that Shunsui might be letting her. Still, these infrequent snowball fights were one of the few times that Nanao let her mischievous streak out for everyone to see, and that was always nice to see. Besides, they both were having fun. The snowballs were flying thick and fast until Shunsui scooped Nanao up and tossed her into a snow bank. Snowflakes clung to her hair and eyelashes, but Nanao just laughed and let fly the snowball in her hand. It hit Shunsui right on the nose, and she used his distraction to overbalance him and topple him into the snow beside her.

That was when Jyuushiro lost the battle and burst out laughing. He wasn't surprised when the next volley of snowballs was aimed at him.

His quarters were nice and warm. Shunsui pressed a mug of hot chocolate into Nanao's hands. She snuggled in his lap, and Shunsui wrapped his haori around them. She was still shivering. The cold always affected his Nanao-chan more than most people, but it made her all the more willing to cuddle with him, so he wasn't going to complain. He frowned when he realized that her fingers were still cold. Taking one of her hands, Shunsui brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them.

"Let me warm you up, Nanao-chan."

She giggled and sipped the hot chocolate. "You're not doing that already?"

Shunsui just laughed and nuzzled her cheek. From their seat beside the fire, the two of them could see out the window to the moon drenched snow. The moon across the snow was pretty, but Shunsui was more interested in the woman beside him.

Nanao giggled and kissed him properly. This was definitely his idea of the right way to spend a snowy night.


	22. Shelter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 1: Inside Out.

**Shelter**

Shunsui was not at all surprised that Nanao was still awake. With the thunderstorm raging right on top of them, there was no way his lovely lieutenant could sleep. Her head was buried against his chest, and she was pressed as close against him as she could manage. Her entire body was tense, and while she made no noise or movement, Shunsui knew she was awake.

For his part, he kept an arm wrapped around her, offering what comfort and support he could. Once of the nice things about Nanao living with him now was Shunsui no longer had to worry about her slipping into his bed during thunderstorms with cold feet. As much as he loved Nanao, cold feet in the middle of the night were not one of his favorite things. But he had been willing to put up with them because Nanao needed it.

Nanao had sought his comfort during bad thunderstorms for years. It was not something either of them talked about much. Shunsui had the feeling that it had originally been Lisa that she had sought out for comfort. It hadn't been until after Lisa's disappearance that Nanao had first sought him out during a storm. He still remembered that night clearly. Nanao had been utterly adorable and completely nervous about disturbing him, but her terror of the storm had been clear as well. And Shunsui hadn't been able to turn the little girl away.

It wasn't until a mission several years later when he found out just how badly thunder affected her. It had been a join mission with the Thirteenth, and he, Jyuu, and Nanao had been caught out in a storm and forced to take shelter under an overhang of rock. Nanao had been nearly catatonic with fear by that point. It was nothing that Shunsui had expected from the practical girl he knew. She rarely had shown what she felt on the inside on her outside. During the nearly three hours they had been stuck there Shunsui and Jyuushiro had struggled to keep her distracted and calm. It had been one of the longest three hours of his life.

Afterwards, they had managed to pry the story out of Nanao, though to this day, Shunsui, Jyuushiro, and Retsu were the only ones who knew it. Well, Lisa probably had known it, and Shunsui suspected that Rangiku either knew or guessed. Shunsui had known that Nanao had come from a very rough part of the Rukongai, and that she had been brought to the academy at an extremely young age. What he hadn't known was Nanao had been the punching bag of the little family group that had adopted her. And that stormy nights had led to extended sessions of beatings. Because they were bored. If Shunsui had known where to find those people, he would have been very tempted to pay them a visit.

So Shunsui had become used to his lieutenant slipping into bed with him on stormy nights. He didn't read anything into it. It was simply an indication of her trust in him and his ability to provide her with comfort. All he could do was support and comfort her. Shunsui knew that Nanao had to overcome her fears and memories herself. And over the years Nanao had become less prone to giving in to her fears, and she had only sought him out during the worst thunderstorms. Of course, that had been before they had started seeing one another romantically. These days Nanao shared his bed regardless of the weather.

Nanao shuddered with the next clap of thunder, and Shunsui drew her closer. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. Then he tipped her chin up and kissed her until her fingers crept into his hair. Shunsui pulled away for a moment to meet Nanao's eyes. She wasn't scared now. His love might not like thunderstorms, but Shunsui had to admit he didn't mind distracting her from them.


	23. Words of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 3: Passing Notes.

**Words of Love**

Nanao blinked when the girl in the desk next to her handed her the note. It was addressed to her. She frowned at the little slip of paper. Nanao had been handed love notes before, but they were always addressed to Rangiku, not to her. At least, she assumed it was a love note since there were hearts doodled around her name. Still, she tucked it into her book to read when class was over. When she headed towards her locker after class, Nanao slid the note out of the book and unfolded it.

The note itself was fairly short. It was mostly composed of compliments about her beauty and her intelligence. That alone startled Nanao. She wasn't used to being noticed for anything other than her intelligence. Nanao didn't recognize the handwriting though, and there was no signature. So she tucked into her binder and went on with her day. And that was that until a second note appeared in her locker.

Quite honestly, she had figured the first note was a mistake. Rangiku was the one who got romantic notes, not her. But the second note was also addressed to her, and the content of the note did make it clear that it was in fact Nanao that the note was meant for. The second one commented on the book she'd been reading yesterday. Apparently the writer of the note enjoyed the series and recommended another by the same author.

The notes continued to appear during the course of her school day for the next few weeks. Nanao couldn't figure out how the note writer was delivering the notes. They appeared everywhere, in her books, on her desk, even in her bag. And she never even caught a glimpse of who was leaving them. The handwriting didn't at all seem familiar though it was quite elegant. They were thoughtful notes. Someone was clearly spending a lot of time on them, and they clearly had an idea of her personality. All in all, Nanao found them rather lovely if mystifying.

That mystery really began to get to her when the third week of notes started. That was the week when the notes began to change. On Monday, the note came in the form of an origami flower. Tuesday the note that had been slid into her locker had actually been sealed with sealing wax. Wednesday's note had been beautifully illustrated to go with the poem that had been included. The notes never failed to bring a smile to her face, but it was driving Nanao more than a little crazy that she didn't know who was sending them.

Nanao didn't have a single clue who it could be. There had been nothing in the notes to give any hint of who it could be, and she had no likely candidates. Other than obnoxious comments from some of the idiot jocks no one had ever really shown interest in her. Both Rangiku and Isane had tried to set her up a couple of times, but it had never really worked out. She had no idea why someone had suddenly chosen to take an interest in her. The notes were entirely lovely though, and they made her feel special. They were witty and thoughtful and very sweet. She did wish she could thank the note writer.

It also didn't help that her friends had discovered that she was getting the notes. Each one of them seemed to have their own theory about who might be behind the notes. Rangiku's ranged from wildly unlikely to completely implausible. Momo's and Isane's ideas were more reasonable, but all three of them wanted to read the notes themselves, and Nanao didn't really feel like sharing them with anyone else. Each note was safely tucked away in a notebook of hers. Nanao would admit that she had reread all of them a number of times. While she didn't normally put much stock in romantic gestures, the notes had been an effective way of getting her attention and winning her over. Now if the writer would just reveal himself.

Six weeks after the notes started appearing, the sender finally slipped up enough for Nanao to catch him. Admittedly, she wouldn't have if she hadn't been trying to avoid Rangiku, but that wasn't the point. What mattered was she had been in the right place at the right time to see Shunsui Kyoraku slip something into her locker. Once he had gone, Nanao hurried to check her locker, and sure enough there was a new note waiting for her. She finally knew who had been writing her notes.

However, the fact that it was Shunsui Kyoraku did startle her. They only had two classes together since he was a senior and she was a sophomore, and Nanao didn't think that their paths had ever crossed outside of class. Plus, he was one of the more popular students in the school. She wouldn't have though she was on his radar at all. Still, she didn't necessarily mind. Shunsui might be lazy and a goof off, but he had surprised her more than once in class during discussions with his thoughtful comments and grasp of the subject at hand. And she was extremely curious about why he had decided to write her love notes.

Cornering Shunsui about the notes was a little more difficult. They didn't share any of their morning classes, nor did they share the same group of friends. Nanao did manage to catch sight of him heading into the library during lunch and quickly followed. She crept up behind him in one of the carrels where he appeared to be writing another note. Nanao peered over his shoulder in time to see him finish a little cartoon sketch of a scene from _Mansfield Park_ which was the novel they were reading in the literature class she shared with him.

"Is that for me?"

Shunsui started then whirled around to look at her. Nanao took advantage of his distraction in order to grab the note. She quickly scanned it while he just stared at her.

"Nanao-"

Nanao smiled at him, looking up from the note.

"Thank you for the notes. I've really enjoyed them." Then she bit her lip. "I just have one question really. Why me?"

He grinned and scratched the back of his head. "I wanted to get to know you, but I didn't how to approach you. You're kind of aloof, you know, and I've seen you shoot down enough guys to know that a pick line wouldn't get your attention. Besides, your face would light up and you'd smile whenever you got one of the notes."

"Now that you have my attention, what are you going to do with it?"

He reached for her hand. "Dinner and a movie? Friday perhaps."

Nanao let him twine their fingers together and then kissed his cheek. "You can pick me up at six."

Her fingers curled around the note that she still held in her other hand. She really couldn't complain about people passing notes in school anymore, but quite honestly, Nanao was just fine with that.


	24. At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 28: Mythical; Legendary.

**At Last**

It really was a legendary event. Nearly everyone in the Gotei Thirteen had been anticipating it for years. It really had come to no surprise to anyone when Shunsui Kyoraku and Nanao Ise had announced their impending marriage. Everyone agreed that this had been a long time coming, and there was a decades old betting pool to be paid out. It had become a major event for all of the Seireitei, and they both had needed to veto a number of ideas that had been suggested in order to celebrate the event. Both Shunsui and Nanao had wanted a fairly simple wedding. In the end, there was a great deal of compromise, but everyone was satisfied.

It was a spring wedding, held outside under the blooming cherry trees. Nearly every single member of the Gotei Thirteen was in attendance as well as many of the nobles. Even the Karakura group attended. There were well over a hundred guests. Not that the bride or the groom seemed very aware of them. They made a striking couple. For once, Shunsui had gone without his pink haori, though his pinwheel hair ornaments were in place. Nanao stood beside him dressed head to toe in white with her traditional wedding kimono. Well, almost all in white. Her uchikake had sakura blossoms on it.

In truth, the ceremony was just a formality for them. They had been a married couple in many ways, even long before they had actually been a romantic couple. And from the beginning of their actual romantic relationship, the two of them had known exactly where they stood with one another. But neither of them minded making things formal, and they were finally here. They stood together as the priest led them in their vows, and then the miko handed them the cups of sake for the next part of the ceremony. Finally, the two of them were led into the shrine's sanctuary in order leave their offerings for the gods and end the ceremony.

They returned to the waiting crowd afterwards, and hand in hand, they faced their friends. It was done. They were married. Amidst the applause, laughter, and outright cheers from their friends, family, and colleagues, Shunsui leaned down and kissed Nanao.


	25. The Way I Am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 21: Swear Words; Profanity.

**The Way I Am**

Shunsui Kyoraku frowned as the sounds of gossip reached him. Normally, it didn't bother him, but he had heard Nanao's name mentioned, and that had caught his attention. The gaggle of women in front of him seemed unaware of his presence, and he took the opportunity to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"She's just not good enough for him. I don't understand why someone hasn't challenged for the position already. I mean, all she's good for is doing the administrative work really. I've never seen her actually fight. And there's absolutely no reason for his fascination with her except for the fact that she's a challenge. She's not the type that he normally attracts."

One of the other women snorted. "Not that she's that attractive. It's completely unfair. I mean some of us actually put some effort in attracting Captain Kyoraku, and he doesn't even spare us so much of a second glance."

The woman at the edge of the group bit her lip. "Lieutenant Ise is really nice though. I mean, she came over to the Fifth and helped Lieutenant Hinamori with the kidou class. She was a really good teacher. Maybe she's just really reserved in public. We don't know why Captain Kyoraku likes her so much."

The first woman scoffed at that. "Honestly, Natsuko, niceness isn't the point. As long as Kyoraku's enamored of her, no one else has a chance to snare him. Besides, she's rather plain and doesn't provide the appropriate image for the Eighth's lieutenant."

They hadn't noticed him, and Shunsui fought to keep his reaitsu suppressed until they were gone. He bit back the urge to swear. He was too annoyed to be polite at the moment. His frown deepened when he recognized the barely perceptible flicker of reaitsu nearby. Bad enough that he had to overhear that, but Nanao shouldn't have to hear it as well. He didn't know if she believed any of that rubbish or not, but it was not pleasant to hear yourself talked about that way. He certainly didn't believe any of it. Well, except for the young woman from the Fifth; she clearly had recognized some of Nanao's sterling qualities.

The hint of her reaitsu was gone within moments. She had disappeared. Probably back to the office if he knew his lieutenant. Shunsui headed back towards the office himself. He wanted to have a chat with his Nanao-chan. He didn't think that the overheard conversation would bother her too much; she was far too confident in herself for that. But he wanted to make sure of that, and he wanted her to know that despite what anyone else might think she was his perfect, beautiful, elegant Nanao-chan.

He found her bustling around the office as if nothing had happened. Only a slight crease in her forehead would alert anyone that something besides the regular paperwork was bothering her.

"Nanao-chan."

She sighed and glanced up at him. "I'm fine, Captain. Kiko Hanamori has never liked me. Not when I showed her up in kidou class when I was just fifteen years old, and not when I took her to task a year after I made Lieutenant for nearly burning down half the division's quarters with an illicit party run amuck. This isn't the first time I've heard gossip like that. I'm used to it."

He frowned at her. She shouldn't be used to it. Nanao shouldn't be used to hearing that kind of bile. Even if it wasn't true. Especially if it wasn't true. His lieutenant continued to bustle about the office, and Shunsui wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say to her. He just needed her to know that he didn't believe any of that nonsense.

"Nanao."

She paused in her work. He rarely used just her name without any endearment. Shunsui gestured to the couch.

"Sit."

She sat down, her hands folded in her lap and a puzzled look on his face.

He gently took her hands in his own. "I want you to listen to me. Their words might not bother you, but they bother me. I don't like it when people speak badly of you, and I don't like it when people assume they know what I need in either a lieutenant or in a partner. I love you. I love you because you're my adorable Nanao-chan. Because you are smart and competent and still so kind and strict. You're Nanao, and that has always been what I needed."

Shunsui cupped her face in his hands. He slid his hands into her raven hair and kissed her. When he pulled away, Nanao was smiling.

"I know that. I've known it for awhile. Why do you think I don't care about their opinions?"


	26. Serenade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 28: Infra Dignitatem (Beneath One's Dignity).

**Serenade**

Nanao heard the noise in the hall and sighed. It sounded like her boss was back. Shunsui Kyoraku might be a good boss, and his music company was one of the best in the country, but the man did not seem to be able to actually work. He was always goofing off or lazing around or flirting with her. It was not how one expected a business executive to act. When it came to things like paperwork or really anything administrative, Mr. Kyoraku was a hopeless case. But he did know music, and he himself was a wonderful musician.

He just drove her crazy sometimes. It didn't help he seemed to have decided that romancing her was one of his highest priorities. Nanao did her best to remain immune, but Kyoraku really could be charming and sweet at times. She had been a last minute appointment as his personal assistant. His previous one had quit in a fit of pique without any notice. It had taken Nanao an entire week to bring order to the office. At the end of the week she had found a violet ipod engraved with her name on her desk along with a note of approval and thanks from her new boss.

She was genuinely fond of the man, and Nanao knew that if she let herself, her feelings could become something more than fondness. If she was honest with herself, they already had. But it was just so cliché the personal assistant falling in love with her boss, and really, she hadn't known the man all that long. Nanao would wait and see before she really made any decisions about the whole mess.

The problem was or at least one of the problems was the fact one of the ways Shunsui insisted on wooing her was through song. It wasn't that she disliked music. She loved music, but it was embarrassing to be followed around all the time by her singing boss. She wished he came with a mute button. He had a lovely singing voice, but there was only so much she could take.

"Nanao-chan!" Shunsui strode into the room. "How is my lovely assistant today?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're late, sir."

"Nonsense, sweetheart. The meeting isn't for another fifteen minutes."

She rose from her chair, gathering up some files.

"Five minutes, Mr. Kyoraku. I've told you before that you're watch runs ten minutes late." She handed him the files and adjusted his tie so it was tied properly. "You're in the boardroom down the hall. I trust you can get there without me holding your hand?"

Shunsui laughed and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Nanao-chan."

As he headed out the door, Nanao was still frozen in shock. In the six months that she had worked for him, he hadn't actually managed land a kiss on her. He had teasingly tried, yes, but Nanao was good at deflecting him. And that particular kiss had not been preceded by the teasing Kyoraku normally indulged in. It also caused a warm fluttery feeling in her stomach that Nanao hadn't quite expected.

Two months later, Nanao would blame the warm fluttery feeling for the predicament she was in. Somehow, she had been talked into coming along on a night out to celebrate Retsu Ukitake's birthday. Nanao wasn't quite sure how she had gotten invited to join Shunsui and the others. Mrs. Ukitake was the wife of Shunsui's best fried, and while Nanao had met the woman a number of times, they weren't exactly close. To be fair, she had been invited to join Shunsui and his friends when they went out a number of times. Nanao usually refused citing that she had too much work to get done. But tonight both Retsu and Rangiku (a publicist had insisted, and Nanao had found herself giving in.

So here she was sharing a fair sized karaoke room with her boss and his friends. Nanao sipped at her drink and tried to blend into to the furniture. She did have to admit that it was sort of fun. And most of those here were good singers. Though Nanao rather doubted that anyone would be asking Shinji Hirako to take a turn singing ever again. Currently, Rangiku was belting out 'Shut Up and Kiss Me' while Shunsui and Jyuushiro were debating over song selections. Shunsui really did have a nice group of friends, and they had gone out of their way to include her.

It was easy to relax and be drawn into conversations, and that was probably why she made the mistake that she did. Yoruichi happened to be singing a song Nanao was fond of, and she found herself humming along with the song and then singing it softly to herself.

"My Nanao-chan can sing?"

She blinked and then actually realized just what she had been doing. Her boss looked like a cat that had gotten the canary. She had never given him any indication that she was musical before and for good reason. Someone, namely Shunsui, would try and get her to sing. Nanao didn't sing in public. Ever. But there was something to be said about persistence. After nearly an hour of cajoling from multiple parties (and a couple more drinks), Nanao sighed and gave in. Retsu handed her the microphone with a mischievous smile, and that was when Nanao got a look at what song was up.

It was a duet for one thing. And oddly enough, it was rather appropriate for herself and Shunsui. At least that was who she guessed would be singing with her. Nanao sighed and turned her attention to the screen. The male part started the song, and sure enough Shunsui was the one singing it.

"Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love!"

Nanao rolled her eyes and played along. "Please, don't start that again."

"All you need is love."

"A girl has got to eat."

"All you need is love."

"Or she'll wind up in the street."

"All you need is love."

She couldn't help it. The corners of Nanao's mouth twitched up in a smile. "Love is just a game."

Shunsui grinned at her. "I was made for loving you baby. You were made for loving me."

Nanao shook her head. "The only way of loving me baby is to pay a lovely fee."

"Just one night. Give me just one night."

"There's no way cause you can't pay."

"In the name of love! One night in the name of love!"

"You crazy fool. I won't give in to you." Nanao shrugged deciding to enjoy this the best she could. She might not sing in public often, but she did enjoying singing, and Shunsui made for a good partner. After all, it wasn't like this would happen again."

"Don't leave me this way. I can't survive, without your sweet love. Oh baby, don't leave me this way."

Nanao smiled at him and shook her head. "You'd think that people would've had enough of silly love songs."

Shunsui reached for her hand. "I look around me, and I see it isn't so. Oh no."

Nanao tried to tug her hand out of his grip. "Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs."

He didn't let go. "Well what's wrong with that? I like to know. Cause here I go again. Love lifts us up where we belong! Where eagles fly on a mountain high!"

"Love makes us act like we are fools. Throw our lives away for one happy day." Nanao gave him a look.

"We could be heroes. Just for one day."

Nanao rolled her eyes once again. "You, you will be mean."

"No, I won't."

"And I, I'll drink all the time."

"We should be lovers."

Nanao gave him a look. "We can't do that."

"We should be lovers! And that's a fact."

Nanao realized that everyone was watching the two of them at this point with rapt attention. She started to blush. Why were they looking at her like that? She really wasn't that good of a singer. But when they finished the duet and the last notes had died away, Nanao found herself receiving an overwhelming amount of applause and compliments. Nanao blushed and found herself rather tongue tied. Shunsui just wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I didn't know you could sing like that, Nanao-chan. We'll have to sing together more often."

Nanao felt a wave of horror wash over her. Bad enough that her boss serenaded her at work, but if she was expected to participate, there was no way she would be able to face her co-workers. And so, Nanao took a step that she had only really been considering and not planning on act on.

"I only sing on dates or when I'm out with friends."

Shunsui just smiled and kissed her cheek. "You'll just have to join us more often then. And don't think I'll let you use work as an excuse next time we invite you to come."

Nanao could live with that.


	27. With a Little Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set after the Winter War and is slightly AU. Theme 12: Uproar; Chaos; Disturbance .

**With a Little Help**

The Winter War was over, and Nanao was having trouble adjusting to the changes in the Seireitei. The biggest of these changes, at least for Nanao, was the fact that she was currently serving as the lieutenant of the Fifth Division while its new captain settled into his duties. It was a temporary position change for her, and it was due to the reshuffling that had been going on with other divisions. Momo had been transferred to the Tenth to serve as their new lieutenant. That had been both to replace Rangiku and in order to give Momo a relationship that she knew she could trust with the captain she served. Rangiku had resigned and chosen to follow Ichimaru into exile in the living world at the end of the war. That decision hadn't surprised Nanao.

Nanao's own position as lieutenant of the Eighth Division was temporarily being filled by Lisa Yadomaru. While like most of the other Vizards Lisa hadn't been willing to return permanently to the Gotei Thirteen, she had been willing to help out in the short term. If Nanao was honest, she didn't quite know how she felt about that. In some ways, Nanao did feel like she was being replaced, and she wasn't entirely happy with her new position. She missed her division. For all that the Fifth Division should have been a better fit for her, the Eighth was home. But she knew that she was needed here at the Fifth right now, and she would due her duty by them.

It also didn't help that Nanao didn't share the same rapport and understanding with Captain Kimura that she did with Captain Kyoraku. Nor did the fact that the Fifth was run rather differently from the Eighth, and as lieutenant, Nanao didn't really have the authority to change things. For example, it was true that she did most of paperwork for the Eighth, but her captain had taken on many of a lieutenant's non-paperwork duties to allow her to do so. Captain Kimura expected her to do most of the paperwork and all of her non-paperwork duties like training and missions. It was beginning to be more than Nanao could handle.

Quite honestly, Nanao felt unaccountably tired and lonely. She missed the Eighth despite all of its craziness. It had her home for most of her life, and she missed her captain. Because Captain Kyoraku really was her captain despite the fact that she was working for the Fifth now. She knew exactly who had her loyalty. Nanao thought longingly of her office at the Eighth. She missed the thrum of reaitsu that marked Shunsui's presence and the way he tended to fuss over her. She missed their partnership. She missed her home.

With a sigh, Nanao reached for another piece of paperwork. Being homesick didn't get her work done, and she was already behind with the paperwork. Nanao was about halfway through filling out the requisition form when Captain Kimura walked into the office.

"Lieutenant Ise."

"Yes, sir?"

"Why haven't these files been dealt with yet?" He gestured to a stack of forms on her desk.

She bit back another sigh. "I haven't had a chance to go over them, sir. They are less of a priority than our requisitions for the month. They'll keep for at least another day or two."

Kimura frowned at her. "I thought you were supposed to be some sort of genius with this administrative work. All the paperwork should be ahead of schedule if that was the case. I expect all of this to be dealt with when I arrive at the office tomorrow. Understood, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir."

He left, and Nanao sighed and rubbed her temples before getting back to work. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Retsu was beginning to worry about Nanao Ise. While the captain of the Fourth Division didn't know the younger woman extremely well, she had gotten a good feel for her due to Nanao's close association with Jyuushiro and Shunsui. And while Nanao was dutiful officer and extremely dedicated, she did not normally work herself into a state of complete exhaustion. Of course, some of that had to do with Shunsui fussing over the girl and making sure she ate and slept. And the fact that Nanao currently looked like she hadn't slept in days and was having trouble concentrating in meetings worried Retsu.

Shunsui physically was in better shape, but Retsu knew that he missed his Nanao-chan. Retsu honestly believed that he was in love with Nanao. She and Jyuu had watched that relationship with interest for several decades. It had been looking like they were finally going to getting together. And then Nanao had been transferred temporarily to the Fifth. The distance between the two of them had grown after that. More because they just didn't see one another much than anything else from what Retsu could tell. But Shunsui was willing to do paperwork these days without complaint, and that couldn't be good. Someone clearly was going to have to do something about this.

* * *

Shunsui had never liked these meetings, but since they were a chance to see his Nanao-chan for once he wasn't complaining. He missed her desperately. While it was good to know that Lisa was fine and doing well, Shunsui had founded it harder than he expected to work with her again. In part he knew it was because he was so used to having Nanao at his side. The two of them had learned to work very well with one another, and Shunsui was finding it hard to modify those work patterns.

There was also the fact that Nanao's presence had become one of his markers for being at home. All he needed to feel at home was the quiet feel of her reaitsu these days. He missed flirting with her, he missed teasing her, and he missed working with her. And now that she wasn't his lieutenant, he rarely saw her. It seemed that the Fifth was keeping Nanao just as busy as the Eighth had. And since he was not the captain of the Fifth, Shunsui really didn't have an excuse to hang out in her office anymore.

The worst part of it was that Nanao had finally begun to open up to him and respond to his overtures as something other than just her captain and her friend. But any progress that they'd made had stalled with her transfer. But Shunsui had a plan. He was kidnapping Nanao for lunch after this meeting. Not only was the timing of this meeting perfect, but Retsu-chan had mentioned she thought Nanao could use some rest. Shunsui was more than happy to make that happen.

However, he started frown the moment Nanao walked in the door. Nanao was utterly exhausted. It only took a glance for him to tell that. Why hadn't her captain made her rest? She didn't look well at all to his eyes. Her skin was paler than normal, there were dark circles under her eyes, and he would give up sake for a month if she had been eating properly. Shunsui definitely needed to have a word or two with Captain Kimura about how you took care of your people.

The meeting itself was incredibly boring and redundant, and Shunsui was more than glad when it was over. However, when Nanao rose to her feet, he frowned as she swayed on her feet. Both Shunsui and Jyuushiro were on their feet immediately. Shunsui had crossed the room and managed to snatch her up in his arms before she completely collapsed.

"I'm fine, Captain," she protested.

"I disagree," Retsu had joined the two of them. "When was the last time you had a real meal, Ise-san?"

Nanao wrinkled her nose. "I had a bowl of ramen yesterday. I think. It may have been the day before that, but I've nibbled on some onigiri since."

"Last time you had a full night's sleep?"

Nanao's brow furrowed. "I can't remember. Before the Winter War?"

Retsu sighed, and Shunsui cuddled Nanao closer. His Nanao-chan was not taking care of herself.

"Take her home and make sure she rests and eats. I don't want Ise-san back on duty for at least three days." Retsu gave him a look. "Take care of her, Shunsui-kun."

Shunsui nodded. Nanao frowned.

"Don't I get any say in this?"

"No."

That response came from Shunsui himself, Retsu, and Jyuu. Nanao sighed. Captain Kimura frowned.

"Wait a minute. Ise is my lieutenant. I should be in charge of her."

Shunsui frowned, but before he could say what he wanted to the man, Retsu had spoken.

"You don't seem to have done a very good job of that to start with. Captain Kyoraku had experience in dealing with difficult patients, and he especially knows how to deal with Lieutenant Ise when she's being difficult. Besides, he is her next of kin."

Shunsui smiled and walked out the door.

* * *

Jyuushiro watched with a smile as his lady effective dealt with Kimura's protests. Shunsui had taken the opportunity to get Nanao out of here. That was all well and good to his mind. He and Retsu had been trying to figure out some way to get Nanao and Shunsui back in one another's presence for a while now. Admittedly, Nanao collapsing was not what they had in mind, but it would do. And he should probably have words with Kimura come to think about it. That would be better than having Shunsui do it. This was one thing Shun was liable to lose his temper about. He had always been overprotective when it came to Nanao.

It was a good thing that Shunsui would have his hands full with taking care of Nanao for the next few days. Not only would that keep Shun from getting into any confrontations with Kimura, but it would also give him some time alone with Nanao. If Shunsui hadn't figured out a way to see Nanao more often by the end of those three days, Jyuu would be very surprised. Shunsui knew well enough not to let Nanao get away from him again. And it was definitely going to fun to watch this chapter of their relationship unfold.

* * *

Nanao knew that she should protest more strenuously than she does. But the truth of the matter is she liked sitting in Shunsui's private garden wrapped up in haori. Both the garden and the haori are a compromise. She was sick of being stuck in bed, but Shunsui didn't want her exhausting herself. So they'd compromised. It wouldn't be the first time in the past two days.

The lack of anything to do had driven Nanao a little crazy within the first few hours of her convalescence. She'd agreed to stay in bed for the rest of the day if he let her have books to read. Nanao had actually spent a very pleasant afternoon reading, and while she wasn't going to admit it to anyone, the hour or so after dinner when Shunsui had read to her had been the highlight of her day.

In fact, the time she had spent with Shunsui had been entirely lovely. Even more than the rest she was getting, his presence was a balm for Nanao. Being back in Shunsui's presence filled the hole in Nanao's heart that she hadn't really realized was there. Of course, it did help that he seemed quite aware when he was smothering her and backed off. With a soft sigh, Nanao nestled her head against his shoulder.

Shunsui kissed her temple. "Are you all right, Nanao-chan?"

She nodded. "I'm just happy. This is nice."

He chuckled, his arms tightening around her. "I'm more than happy to keep you here forever. You do know that I'm not going to let go again. I've missed you too much."

"I missed you too," her voice was soft.

Shunsui shifted slightly on the bench they were sharing, turning so they were face to face. He cupped her face in his hands and leaned in so their noses touched.

"I love you, Nanao. You might be Kimura's lieutenant right now, but you're still my Nanao-chan. Even if you're never are my lieutenant again, you'll still have a place in my life."

The only response that Nanao could come up with to that was kissing him. Shunsui tugged her into his lap and kissed her until she was out of breath. Nanao wasn't entirely sure where they went from here, but she was happy and content for the first time in months. Shunsui cuddled her close, and Nanao let go of any worries she had for the moment. She could worry later. Right now she was going to enjoy the moment.


	28. Refuge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 24: Framed.

**Refuge**

Nanao sighed and began gathering up the personal items on her desk. Rangiku leaned against the door frame with a frown.

"You're sure about this? We could work some thing out."

Nanao shook her head. "We both know that someone will go down for this, and it won't be you. You're safe enough, and I won't put someone else in this position."

It was Rangiku's turn to sigh. "We both know that one of the top three leaked those papers. You getting fired over it won't help anyone. I could take the fall."

"Not while Mr. Ichimaru works here." Nanao had no problem with the fact that one of their bosses was in love with Rangiku. Not when he made her happy. "I'm one of the best paralegals in this city. I can find another job."

Rangiku hugged her. "You're not moving out. I don't care if I have to pay all the rent myself. I'll see you for dinner."

Nanao nodded. "All right. Now let me get this done."

Rangiku left, leaving Nanao to pack up her office in peace. Until today, Nanao Ise had been a paralegal for Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen, one of the major law firms in town. Except this morning the press had released information from confidential documents that pertained to a case the firm had just lost. The reporter claimed to have gotten the documents from a paralegal. There were all of six people who had access to those documents at this firm, and only three of them were paralegals. Nanao knew for a fact that she hadn't slipped those documents to the reporter, and Rangiku had said she hadn't either. The other paralegal involved, Momo Hinamori, was not the type of person to do it either, though Nanao supposed there was always a chance that had happened.

The theory Rangiku had offered that one of the lawyers in the case had leaked the documents made more sense. It wouldn't have been Ichimaru if only because the whole mess could have caused trouble for Rangiku. The one thing Nanao could count on about Mr. Ichimaru was the fact that he would never do anything that would harm Rangiku. Other than that, all bets were off. But the other two lawyers on the case could have leaked the information, and someone was going to have to take the fall. It would be any of the partners in the firm. It wouldn't be Rangiku. And it wouldn't be Hinamori because Mr. Aizen liked the fact that he could control her. That left Nanao.

She had seen the writing on the wall immediately. Which was why she had already turned it her resignation. Nanao wanted this over with quickly and cleanly. She wasn't going to wait until she was fired or asked to resign. She didn't need either of those things on the record. Thankfully, it didn't take her long to pack up her desk and her personal files. Hefting her box, Nanao walked out of the room without looking back.

* * *

Unemployment did not suit Nanao at all. She found herself bored enough that she was going through all her old files. Most of them ended up just being shredded, but Nanao was finding an odd pattern in some of them. She couldn't tell without seeing the original case files, but it was beginning to look like Aizen had been deliberately leaking information about specific cases to the press. And those leaks had affected the police cases in the end. That sounded sort of illegal to Nanao. And it was definitely unethical.

There was also the fact that about half the time that the information was leaked, there had been firings or resignation. She did not like the pattern that was forming at all. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much that Nanao could do about that at this point. Well, she could take the documents she had to the police, but she rather doubted it was enough for them to take action on. Still, Nanao collected all of the files that were relevant and stashed them in her vital documents safe. There was always a chance that at some point they could prove important.

But once she had gone through her files, Nanao quickly found that she had very little else to do. The apartment she shared with Rangiku was currently spotless and she had spent her morning applying for whatever jobs she could find. Nanao did not handle boredom or enforced idleness well. Which was probably why she had gone out to do as much of the month's grocery shopping as she could. At least that was productive.

However, on her trip home from the grocery store, weighed down by a number of shopping bags, Nanao was having second thoughts about the shopping trip. She was also tired and cranky, and not at all expecting to find the apartment door wide open. Nanao paused in the doorway. She did not like this. Setting down her bags, she cautiously made her way inside. Her apartment had been completely ransacked. Nanao quickly retreated back outside to call the police.

Thirty minutes later a pair of detectives had arrived as well as Rangiku (she had been Nanao's second call) at the apartment. Nanao was not surprised to find that Mr. Ichimaru had accompanied Rangiku. To tell the truth, Nanao had been rather relieved to see the two police officers. She had not been comfortable sitting outside her apartment on her own just waiting for something to happen. It also helped that she knew both of the detectives.

Nanao had worked with Jyuushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku several times on lawsuits that the firm had handled. She felt more comfortable with those two than most of their co-workers. Of course, their arrival hadn't meant that she could go into her apartment right away. Instead, she had needed to wait outside with Rangiku and Ichimaru while the detectives checked her apartment. Finally, Ukitake waved her into the apartment.

"Miss Ise, Miss Matsumoto, could you please come inside and tell us if you notice anything missing?"

Nanao nodded and followed the man inside. She winced at the mess. But to her eye, nothing was gone. Kyoraku trailed her as she made a circuit of the entire apartment. The room that she and Rangiku used as a home office had suffered the most damage and attention. In the other rooms, things had just been gone through and tossed about. In the office, however, things had actually been damage, and it didn't look like a single piece of paper had been ignored.

"Can you think of anything people might have been looking for?"

Nanao frowned and bit her lip. "Yes."

And it was a very good thing that she didn't actually keep any of her vital records or important documents in her home office. Instead, Nanao returned to her room and carefully dug a fire safe out of the back of her closet. It only took her a moment to retrieve the packet of documents.

"These are my personal notes and records from cases I worked at Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen." She handed the folder to Kyoraku. "There's a pattern there that could case people some problems, but I doubt it is enough for a criminal investigation."

A frown formed on Kyoraku's face as he flipped through the documents. Then he raised his head and met her eyes.

"How many people know you have these?"

"Only Rangiku for sure. Well, Ichimaru probably knows. But most paralegals keep their own files, so it wouldn't be that surprising for someone to guess I had them."

"And that someone clearly knew you were smart enough to see the pattern." Kyoraku sighed. "I need you to pack up what you'd need for at least a week, sweetheart. I've got to talk to Jyuu. Don't go anywhere other than your room without me."

"I'm not your sweetheart."

Kyoraku just grinned, but his eyes were worried.

* * *

The police precinct really wasn't where Nanao had thought she would spend her days when she had first become unemployed, but she understood why the police were taking such pains to be careful. Neither Kyoraku nor Ukitake had been willing to talk until they arrived here. But Nanao remembered the glance Kyoraku had shared with Ichimaru before making sure that Rangiku had someplace safe to stay. Ichimaru had volunteered his apartment for that which hadn't surprised Nanao at all. Once they had gotten to the precinct, however, the two detectives had explained.

There had been an on going investigation of Sosuke Aizen for a number of years. But until recently there had never been much evidence, and there had never been any witnesses who could testify for the case. Until now. Nanao would be the second witness in the case. Gin Ichimaru had been acting as an informant for the police for the past three years. But one informant's testimony would not be enough. Nanao might be what tipped a trial in their favor. And they were taking no chances that something might happen to her. This was why she had spent the last week at the police precinct while they arranged a safe house for her. The only problem was, Nanao had nothing to do.

That was probably why she had started organizing Kyoraku's desk. For one thing, it was a complete and utter mess, and that irked Nanao. For another, she didn't have anything better to do. So Nanao had tackled the desk and over the course of three hours had organized, filed, recycled, and thrown away its contents. Ukitake had done a double take when he'd walked by at one point.

"You don't have to do that, you know, Miss Ise."

Nanao shrugged. "I'm bored. Besides, it's a wonder that anyone could find anything in this desk. Though I have to admit, it looks like most of this paperwork is overdue."

Ukitake just laughed. "I don't think that Shun had ever managed to turn paperwork on time."

Nanao had frowned. "We'll see about that."

And that was why when Kyoraku returned, Nanao had slapped his paperwork to be signed in front him. Kyoraku blinked at her.

"What happened here?"

"I cleaned your desk, and these papers are overdue. All they need is your signature."

He blinked again. "So?"

"Sign them."

Nanao had decided to use the tack that had worked with the first lawyer she'd been assigned to back when she had just started working as a paralegal. The only way to get that man to do anything had been to be blunt and not give him other options. Kyoraku met her eyes, and his lips quirked into a broad grin.

"All right, sweetheart. But if people have a heart attack because of this, I'm blaming you."

* * *

Nanao Ise was something special. Most people wouldn't think her remarkable. Shunsui knew better. He had liked her from the first time they had met during a trial, but it hadn't been until recently that Shunsui had gotten a chance to actually get to know her. The young woman was stubborn, organized, thoughtful, smart, and beautiful. Shunsui liked her. And it wasn't just because she was the witness they had needed to make this case work.

He had been rather surprised when she had made him do his paperwork. Shunsui quite honestly had no idea way she had made him do it either. But then understanding women was a subject that one could devote their life to. Actually, understanding one woman was a subject a man could devote his life too. With Nanao, Shunsui was tempted to try. But first they would have to get through this investigation and trial, and that meant keeping Nanao safe.

Truthfully, Shunsui wasn't too concerned about keeping Nanao safe. Well, at least not the logistics of it. She was their key witness, and she had impressed the old man by getting Shunsui to do his paperwork. There was no need to worry about the appropriate steps being taken to protect her or the cost. Though they were going to have to get Nanao out of Tokyo soon. He was more worried about keeping her safe and keeping their relationship professional at the same time. There had been two attempts on her life, though she was not aware of either one of them. He and Jyuushiro had made sure of that.

But every time that something threatened Nanao, Shunsui felt his heart clench. He personally wanted to keep her safe. While he often had felt protective of witnesses for his cases before, it had never been quite anything like this. Nanao was something special all right, and Shunsui was determined to keep her safe and alive so he could find out just why she was so special to him. Shunsui sighed as he watched the woman in question complete a crossword puzzle.

"Shun."

He looked up to find his partner standing beside him. "What is it?"

Jyuushiro sighed. "The safe house has been compromised. Captain Yamamoto wants the two of you on the train to Kyoto immediately. We're going to have to tell her."

Shunsui sighed again and got his feet. "I'll do it."

They had avoided telling Nanao just how much danger she was in to keep her from being too concerned, but they didn't have a choice anymore. Shunsui walked over the sideboard in order to fix her a cup of tea. Maybe that would help.

"Here." He pressed the mug into her hands. "We need to talk, Nanao."

* * *

Nanao shivered slightly in her seat causing Shunsui to drape his coat over her legs. The train was a bit chilly. Nanao had been rather silent and a little pale since she had been informed of the attempts on her life and that she was being sent to Kyoto. Shunsui was a little worried about her, but he didn't want to push her. Besides, any sort of fight might blow their cover. They were supposed to be newlyweds spending their honeymoon in Kyoto.

"You're safe, Nanao-chan. I won't let anything happen to you."

She offered him a small smile. "Thank you. Can you tell me where we're going?"

"There's a house outside of Kyoto we'll be staying at. It's was part of my mother's inheritance. The place is almost impossible to connect with the Tokyo police."

Nanao nodded and let out a sigh. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. Please wake me before we get to the train station."

Shunsui nodded. Twenty minutes later not only was Nanao asleep, but her head was resting against Shunsui's shoulder. He pressed a soft kiss to his hair. Jyuushiro was convinced that he was in love with Nanao. Shunsui was fairly sure his best friend was right. He wasn't sure why he'd fallen so suddenly for this young woman, but he had. And when this whole mess was over he was taking her out for dinner and getting a really chance to get to know her. Until then, he would have to keep her safe and try not to do anything that could jeopardize their court case. Getting involved with a witness might do that.

He sighed and rest his cheek against her hair. He had a feeling the two weeks in Kyoto before the preliminary hearings and the start of the trial would be long ones.

* * *

Nanao sat in the garden with a book on her lap, listening to the sound of the miniature waterfall there. Shunsui's mother's home was beautiful, but the real showpiece was the gardens. Nanao had taken to reading out here often. She and Shunsui had made some trips into Kyoto itself to sightsee. If someone was looking for them, they would very much look like a young couple on vacation.

Quite honestly, this was all far too overwhelming, and she wanted it to be over. The sightseeing was nice, and Shunsui went out of his way to make sure she enjoyed herself and tried to keep her mind off the whole situation. He could be annoying and lazy at times, but he was also very sweet. Nanao found herself growing genuinely fond of the man. Even if that irked her at times.

She did not really know what to expect from the upcoming hearings and trials. It made her nervous and anxious to think about them. But here in this garden she found a sense of peace and calm. She looked up from her book when Shunsui stretched on the grass beside her bench with a book of his own. He flashed her a grin but let her continue to read. Nanao smiled and enjoyed her refuge. She would face everything when the time came. Until then, she would enjoy her time here and the company she had.


	29. Empty Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 23: Naprapathy.

**Empty Heart**

Jyuushiro Ukitake was extremely worried about Nanao Ise. He watched her closely from his spot in the crowd. While he looked grave and sad, Jyuushiro was not as upset as most of the people at this funeral. That was because he knew that Shunsui Kyoraku was not dead. However, only he, Retsu, and the Commander-General knew that. Everyone else believed the captain of the Eighth Division was dead. Including Nanao. And that was what had him worried.

Nanao seemed to be taking every thing in stride. Jyuushiro knew better. The Eighth's lieutenant was deep in mourning, but she wouldn't share it with anyone. She was much paler than normal, and to his eyes, she looked incredibly small and fragile. He, Shunsui, and Retsu had all opposed keeping Nanao in the dark about this, but Yamamoto had overruled them all. Anyone with sense would know what this could do the lieutenant, and they would need her to help hold the Eighth Division together.

He was also concerned about how well the new captain of the Eighth would take care of her. The man was not at all familiar with the dynamics of the Eighth, and it would be easy for a stranger to overlook Nanao's emotional state. Jyuushiro would have to keep a close eye on the woman to make sure that Shunsui's Nanao-chan was here when he came back. Truthfully, the only good Jyuu really saw coming of all this was maybe Shunsui and Nanao would finally move past their current stage of relationship when Shunsui got back from his mission.

* * *

Nanao was exhausted, but that was nothing new these days. She couldn't sleep. Well, she could if she wanted to have nightmare after nightmare about her captain's death, but Nanao preferred exhaustion. It was easier on her sanity. Besides, it wasn't as if there wasn't enough work to fill her hours. The entire division was torn between mind numbing grief and rage. It didn't exactly make for an efficient work environment.

But she would keep the division running even if it killed her. It was easier to immerse herself in the running of the division than to deal with the thoughts of what she had lost. It wasn't the same at all, but Nanao tried to maintain at least some sense of the familiar for her fellow division members. They had lost their captain, but at least she was still their same Lieutenant Ise.

It also didn't help that her new captain grated against her nerves. Logically, Nanao knew a large part of it was her problem rather than his. Shunsui Kyoraku had been her captain since Nanao had graduated from the academy. The idea of someone else in that role was completely foreign to her. And that didn't even take into account her personal feelings for the man. Captain Hirotaro Nobuda was nothing at all like Captain Kyoraku, and Nanao keenly felt the difference.

Of course, that might have to do with the man's attitude towards her as well. She vividly remembered the diatribe she received when he confronted her about not attending the sword practice with the rest of the division. He hadn't even let her explain. Nanao's zanpakutou was a tanto even in its sealed form. She was utterly useless in most practice sessions because of that. Shunsui had handled all of the sword practices with the help of the skilled seats, and he had drilled Nanao privately or with Captain Ukitake helping them. Nanao handled all of the kidou instruction and practice sessions for the division.

It sounded like that arrangement would no longer work. She was dreading the practice session tomorrow that Captain Nobuda had demanded she attend. It was going to be difficult and quite likely humiliating all around. She sighed and rest her head in her hands. She didn't know how she was going to manage. She could fight with a standard sword. Shunsui had insisted on teaching her, and Katen Kyokotsu had been gracious enough to allow her to use the shorter sword of the set for her training. But they were simply skills she didn't use very often. Still, she would have to deal with it.

There were other things that worried her more quite frankly. The division's morale was the worst that she had ever seen it, though that wasn't incredibly surprising. More worrisome to Nanao was the fact that her fellow division members seemed to fear their new captain. She could see why they might be intimidated by the man. Not only was he not familiar, but he was short of temper and prone to outbursts. Still, fear seemed a rather extreme reaction, and Nanao wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. She knew that transitions were not always easy, especially a major one like this, but still the fear people were showing was not a good sign. She sighed and turned her attention back to the paperwork at hand. Thinking was not exactly the best way to spend her time these days.

* * *

Jyuushiro sipped the tea Retsu had poured for him. The two of them were enjoying afternoon tea in his private garden for several reasons, not the least of which was that he enjoyed the healer's company. Shunsui had always teased him about his feelings for Retsu. The conversation had turned from Retsu's recent studies of naprapathy to current news in the Gotei Thirteen.

"Has Lieutenant Ise said anything to you recently about her division?" Retsu asked.

He frowned. "No. Actually, I've barely seen her since the funeral. I didn't want to intrude on her if I wasn't welcome. She had enough on her plate as it is."

Retsu sighed. "I was hoping you could give some details of what might be happing at the Eighth. I've had a marked increase in their division members coming to the Fourth. Mostly with minor injuries, though we've had several broken bones. I also don't like the despair I'm seeing with the division members. Grief I would understand, but this is something more."

Jyuu's frowned deepened. "You think the Nobuda's transition to captain isn't going well."

She bit her lip. "I'm not sure what to think. Except the few times I've seen Lieutenant Ise I've wanted to either drug her to make sure she gets some sleep or put her directly in Shunsui's hands. She is not well. The woman is definitely exhausted and clearly heartsick."

"She loves Shunsui," he said softly. "Of course, she hasn't been ready to face that. It's understandable given that Shunsui has practically raised her. They both needed to for their relationship to transition. This mission was incredibly poorly timed."

"I know." Retsu sighed. "If you see her, try and see if she will talk. She needs support and comfort even if she won't ask for it."

* * *

Nanao bit back a sigh even as she took her place for sword practice. She steeled herself for what she knew would be an hour and a half of misery. Nothing was as it was under Captain Kyoraku, especially here. It had become apparent very quickly that Captain Nobuda did not have the gift for teaching. Nor did he have the patience that many of the division members needed. So these practice sessions were now a combination of long winded diatribes and extremely hard practices. There had been more injuries in the last two weeks during practice than they'd have in nearly two years.

It worried her quite honestly. Most of the division was cowed and fearful when it came to Captain Nobuda. The rest were angry and resentful. Morale was at the lowest Nanao had ever seen, and she did not know how to fix things or even just make them easier. As lieutenant of the division, one of her jobs was to be a bridge between the other division members and the captain. But given that Captain Nobuda held her utterly in contempt, even that proved difficult.

More than anything else, what Nanao really wanted was to crawl into Shunsui's old futon and not come out. Ever. When Captain Nobuda had demanded to move into the captain's quarters it had been Nanao who had packed everything up and moved it. It had taken longer than she liked as she hadn't been able to stop crying. She had simply moved all of the belonging into her own quarters. Those things were a constant reminder, but really, everything around her ways. She had a great many regrets at the moment, and everything reminded her that she hadn't taken chances that she could have.

Turning her attention back to the sword practice at hand, Nanao drew out Yamazakurakaze. Nobuda insisted she use it in practice even though it was particularly unhelpful. Her style of fighting did not work with regular sized swords, and no one else in their division had a tanto. Now if she had been allowed to teach others how to defend against her style of fighting it would be another story, but Nobuda had put a stop to that the first time she tried. He claimed that no one in the division was advanced enough to learn it. That was hogwash to Nanao's mind, but she had not been able to convince him otherwise.

The practice session ended with one of the youngest division members in tears, and slow building fury in Nanao's chest. Once she had made sure that the Seventh Seat and the Ninth Seat were helping the girl, she headed straight for the division office. She needed to have some words with the captain.

"Excuse me, sir." Nanao stood at attention before his desk. "I believe you need to hear what I have to say about the division."

He waved a hand at her.

"The Eighth would perform better all around if you would stop berating and haring its members at the drop of the hat. We are capable of far more than you give us credit for, and you have done nothing to give us a chance to prove our worth. You have simply acted as a bully in many cases, and if this goes much further I will be forced to file a compliant with the First Division."

The man stared at her for a moment, and then Nanao found herself reeling when he backhanded her.

"You will not tell me how to do my job. This entire division has been coddled for too long, and that fact that the former captain's whore is the second in command is an insult. You are to do your job and leave the thinking to your betters, bitch."

Her head was reeling. She had never been treated this badly. Not even when she had been a child in the Rukongai. And she wanted to kill him for thinking of her captain like that. Even if she had been Shunsui's lover, he would have never let her rise to her position in the division if she hadn't been qualified for it. He had no right to judge her captain based on rumor and assumption.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes."

She wasn't about to tell him what she understood though. Nanao knew what she was going to have to do. But first she needed to go to the Fourth.

* * *

Jyuushiro was furious. And all it took to set his temper off again was to glance over at where Nanao was being treated by Retsu. The entire left side of the woman's face was a purple bruise. It looked particularly ghastly combined with her pale skin and the dark circles under her eyes. Quite frankly, she looked like someone hanging on only by sheer force of will. Nanao had not said who had hit her, but there was an extremely limited pool of people who would even consider harming her. She was well liked and well respected throughout the Gotei Thirteen, and most people currently held a great deal of sympathy for her given the Eighth's recent loss.

If Shunsui was here, he would most certainly have taken matters into his own hands. Actually, when Shunsui got back from his mission and heard about this, he would most likely take things into his own hands. It was not going to be pretty. But what really worried Jyuushiro and set off his temper at the same time was Nanao herself. First of all, she shouldn't have to be dealing with this at all. No one should have hit her, especially not hard enough to leave a bruise like that. And on the one hand, she would not speak of the attack or who had hit her. Then again, the young woman was absolutely furious. Nanao rarely displayed her temper, but when she was truly furious, she was not an opponent he would want to face.

Nanao was furious. It was a cold, self contained fury, but the way her eyes blazed let Jyuu know that someone was in serious trouble. Except he wasn't entirely sure she was physically able to deal with a fight right now. She was tired and heartsick, and Jyuushiro wanted to pack her off some where she could rest and relax for at least a week.

"There. You're set." Retsu gave Nanao a long look. "Now, we need to speak about what caused this injury."

Nanao pursed her lips. "Thank you, Captain Unohana, but that won't be necessary. Will you and Captain Ukitake please gather the other captains for me?"

Jyuushiro narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to challenge Captain Nobuda."

* * *

There was a logical part of Nanao's mind that was screaming at her that she was crazy. Nanao ignored it. She had to do this. It was either that or let the Eighth be destroyed. While Nanao knew that she wasn't exactly in the best shape for this fight, she didn't think that putting it off would give her any advantages. And even if she failed today, Nanao knew the fact that she had challenged Captain Nobuda at all would make the other captains wonder what was going on at the Eighth.

The fact that dying didn't bother her had given Nanao pause when she had headed into this. She didn't care too much about dying if it was for her division. That was all she had left. She took her position across from Captain Nobuda."

"You're an idiot girl."

Nanao stood firm. "You may be the Captain of the Eighth, but it's my division."

Captain Yamamoto called the fight to order, and they began. Nanao actually found herself evenly matched against Nobuda. At least, evenly matched with her using both kidou and a blade. She had yet to release Yamazakurakaze. But she would have to soon. Nobuda had a great reach than she did, and a tanto was a match against a normal sized sword if they went blade to blade. But she wanted to force to release his sword first. That at least would be a psychological victory for her.

It took a tricky bit of kidou to manage it, but Nobuda released his zanpakutou, and Nanao felt her heart sink. It was an odachi: a sword with a blade nearly three feet long. It was useless in close combat, but it gave him an extended reach, and put Nanao a much great disadvantage. This was not going well.

"Yamazakurakaze, fly."

But it wasn't going to be enough. Especially when a fireball of kidou burnt her hand badly enough to make her drop the tanto. Nanao scrambled for the blade even as Nobuda knocked her legs out from under her. She fell with the breath knocked out of her, and Nanao knew it was over. He was going to kill her. Nanao refused to look away. The blade swept down towards her, and then clanged off another blade. Nanao's eyes widened at the sight of her Captain standing before her, Katen Kyokotsu's shorter sword blocking the blow. Nanao was afraid to blink and break the illusion. This couldn't be real.

"This fight is over. Given that I'm the Captain of the Eighth Division, there is no need for it."

It was his voice even if the familiar baritone was cold and angry. Nanao make a soft noise. But the vision in front of her didn't move until Nobuda had backed down and walked to the sidelines. Then he turned. It was her captain. Still wearing that ratty straw hat and that familiar pink haori over his captain's haori. It was him. The frown on his face lightened slightly as his eyes took her in.

"My Nanao-chan." Shunsui gathered her into his arms, scooping her up off her feet. "I am so sorry."

She wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. She took a deep breath, taking in the sake and sandalwood that he had always smelled of. He kissed her forehead. Nanao let out the breath. This was real. He was home. He wasn't dead. That empty place in her chest was gone, replaced by warmth and contentment. Nanao felt herself relax, and then she did something she would not have expected. She fainted.

* * *

Jyuushiro smiled as Shunsui flew into a mild panic and called for Retsu. It looked liked his message had reached his friend in time. If Shunsui hadn't arrived when he did, Jyuu would have had to interfere himself. But all would be well now. Retsu would most likely tell Shunsui to put Nanao to bed and make sure she ate and rested over the course of the next few days. Hopefully, the time Nanao spent bedridden would provide Shunsui time to explain things to Nanao and move things along with the two of them. Of course, that meant Shunsui couldn't go haring off to deal with Nobuda.

That's what best friends were for. Jyuu stalked over to the man who was looking both shaken and annoyed. Jyuushiro picked him up by the collar and slammed him into a wall.

"Give me one good reason not to let Shunsui kill you."

The man's eyes went wide. Jyuu kept talking.

"Now, Nanao hasn't said a word about what might have caused all this, though I saw her face earlier today and the bruise that was there. However, Shunsui has a way of getting her to admit to things she wouldn't tell anyone else. So either, you can go see the Commander-General and request a nice remote posting in the living world or you can wait around until Shunsui finds out details. The choice is up to you."

And with a smile, Jyuushiro walked away. Time to go find Retsu. They could share a cup of tea, and she could fill him in on whatever developments there might be in the saga of Shunsui and Nanao.


	30. His Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story contains some citrus. Please don't read if that offends you. Theme 20: Life Cycle of a Fire.

**His Flame**

It always puzzled Shunsui that people inevitably associated Nanao with ice. Nanao was clearly a child of fire. You could find the entire life cycle of a fire in Nanao. She could burn just as easily as she could warm. She just hid it well. Nanao was fierce and passionate even if she didn't always share that with others. She had always been a rather private person, and Shunsui considered himself lucky that she shared the full breadth of her emotions with him.

With a sigh, he set down the pen he was using. It was a late night in the office for Shunsui. He had sent Nanao home hours ago. She had clearly been tired, and he could manage the rest of the paperwork on his own. Setting the finished paperwork where it could be delivered to the First Division in the morning, Shunsui rose to his feet and stretched. He was done for the night.

He was not surprised to find a light on inside his quarters. Nanao tended to leave one for him when she arrived home before he did. Shunsui had barely made it in the door before Nanao appeared in the doorway that led to their bedroom. She stood there, wrapped only in his pink haori.

"Welcome home."

He crossed the room to her and ran his fingers through her dark hair. Shunsui loved how it looked down. He kissed her gently. She kissed him back warmly. Quite honestly, she warmed his heart in a way no other could. Nanao pulled away and sighed softly, pressing her nose into the hollow of his neck.

"Nanao-chan?"

She tilted her head up, and his lips met hers again, and fire sprang up between them.

"Come to bed, Captain."

"Captain?" He caught her wrists, pressing kisses to her palms. "Shunsui, Nanao-chan. I want to hear my name."

She giggled and slipped away from him, dropping his haori to the floor as she made her way to their futon. Shunsui shed his own clothes and followed her to their bed. He drew her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. Nanao tangled her hands in his hair, whimpers escaping her. Shunsui dusted kisses across her collar bones, and Nanao retaliated by raking her fingers down his back and arching up against him. She knew just how to tease him.

Shunsui rolled so Nanao was now astride him. With her deft little hands she guided him into her as even he brought his hands up to play with her breasts. Nanao gave him a saucy smile before leaning in to steal a kiss. The rhythm between them quickly turned frenzied, and Nanao came barely moments before Shunsui did.

Afterwards, she curled up against him with a soft sigh and closed her eyes, using his shoulder as her pillow. Shunsui pulled the blankets over them both. They lay together in the warmth of their shared bed, and Shunsui pressed a sleepy kiss to Nanao's shoulder. The passion between them had smoldered down to embers once again, but it would be there waiting, and besides, the embers provided warmth and comfort. But whether embers or a blazing fire, Nanao's love really was all he needed to keep warm.


End file.
